Israel deports British activist who protected Palestinian children

What the report says

British student and pro-Palestinian volunteer Finn Joughin has been deported from Israel after an incident in the occupied West Bank, according to Al Jazeera. The 22-year-old had been working in Umm al-Khair, a village in Masafer Yatta, as an international volunteer with Proactive Presence, a movement focused on protecting Palestinian communities from settler attacks.

Al Jazeera reported that Joughin was seized by Israeli settlers at gunpoint on August 29 after he intervened when settlers confronted Palestinian children playing football. He said he tried to shield the children and stop damage to a fence before being restrained, held briefly by settlers, and later taken by Israeli forces to a police station. He was then detained, formally arrested, and questioned about his presence in the West Bank and his political views.

The article says prosecutors and his lawyer later agreed to end the case through deportation rather than continued legal proceedings. Joughin was deported to Britain on August 31 and given a 10-year ban on returning to Israel or the occupied Palestinian territory. He told Al Jazeera he plans to challenge the ban and clear his name.

The report places the case in the broader context of recurring settler violence in Umm al-Khair and other West Bank communities. A UK Foreign Office spokesperson said consular support was provided to the detained British man.