Eleven Australians, detained by Israeli forces for around 80 hours after participating in a flotilla carrying humanitarian aid towards Gaza, returned to Australian shores this morning.

Family and lawyers have released a new statement regarding the kidnapping of eleven Australian humanitarian volunteers who were illegally intercepted by Israel in international waters west of Cyprus.

Nearly 60 boats have crossed international waters from multiple ports to gather in Turkey as part of a fleet sailing trying to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza. 

Crews aboard Global Sumud Flotilla, who are part of unarmed crews with critical humanitarian aid bound for Gaza, say Israeli naval forces boarded their ships on 1 May and threatened them at gunpoint.

Activists from new group Defend Peace Djilang locked on at Defence Minister Richard Marles’ electoral office in Geelong this morning, demanding the minister stop approving export permits of F35 parts to Israel.

Climate justice activists, First Nations participants, an ‘anti-zionist Jewish activist’, writer Clem Ford and at least two Northern Rivers representatives were included in Aussie crew announced as part of a mission to Gaza next month.

Before Chris Hedges could even deliver his speech on the silencing and betrayal of Palestinian journalists, the National Press Club of Australia cancelled the Pulitzer Prize-winning war correspondent's invitation. Last week he delivered the speech anyway, at an event in Sydney.

Saturday afternoon saw hundreds of people gather at Byron Bay’s Railway Park to join the Nationwide march for Palestine.

Australian humanitarian workers – Surya McEwen, Abubakir Rafiq, Hamish Paterson, Juliet Lamont, Bianca Webb-Pullman, and Cameron Tribe – remain in Israeli detention following their illegal abduction in international waters, where they have been subjected to systematic abuse and denied fundamental human rights.

A local group of Palestinian human rights activists again scaled the rooftop of the Tweed Heads office of local federal Richmond MP Justine Elliot to protest the ongoing genocide in Gaza.