Some 80% of the Palestinians who lived in the area that became Israel were driven from their homes by forces of the nascent state before and during the war.
Saif Abu Keshek, a Spanish national of Palestinian origin, and Brazilian Thiago Avila were among dozens of activists aboard a flotilla intercepted by the Israeli navy in international waters.
After the war began, the Israeli military heavily restricted sea activity in Gaza, with the United Nations reporting that some fishermen were attacked onshore or at sea
A strike on the Al-Daraj neighbourhood of Gaza City killed one person and wounded 10 others, including the son of Hamas's chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya.
The ministry said the activists were affiliated with the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad (PCPA), a group Washington has accused of "clandestinely acting on behalf of Hamas".
