Ghana condemns 'inhumane' treatment of travellers at Israel airport

Ghana condemned on Wednesday what it called the "inhumane" treatment of its citizens at Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport, after several travellers were detained or deported since Sunday.

In a statement, Ghana’s foreign ministry said Ghanaian travellers were "deliberately targeted" and subjected to "traumatic" and "humiliating" treatment.

The ministry noted that seven citizens were detained at the airport "without justifiable cause."

Among these nationals were four members of a parliamentary delegation attending an international cybersecurity conference in Tel Aviv. They were released after hours of diplomatic intervention.

The three other travellers were deported and have since returned to Ghana.

The country's foreign ministry described Israeli authorities' conduct as "extremely provocative, unacceptable and inconsistent with our friendly historical relations."

It said it was planning to summon officials from the Israeli Embassy in Accra early on Wednesday to express its "displeasure" and was considering reciprocal measures despite the two countries’ "cordial relations."

Ghana and Israel first established diplomatic relations in 1957.