Ghana has deported three Israeli nationals in retaliation for what it described as “ill-treatment and unjustified deportation” of three Ghanaian travelers by Israeli authorities.
In an official statement released on Wednesday by the Ghanaian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and shared on X by Ghana’s Foreign Minister, Sam Okudzeto.
According to the statement, the three Israelis arrived in Accra earlier in the day but were immediately expelled after Ghanaian officials concluded that Israel had unfairly targeted and traumatized Ghanaian travellers.
“Following the ill-treatment and unjustified deportation of three Ghanaian nationals by Israeli authorities, the Government of Ghana has been compelled to retaliate by deporting three (3) Israelis who arrived in Ghana earlier today,” the statement read.
Ghana added that it will “continue to safeguard the dignity of its nationals and also that of other nationals.”
Earlier, Ghana said its nationals were subjected to “inhumane and traumatic” treatment at Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv city on Sunday.
The development follows an earlier statement issued on Wednesday, in which Accra condemned the treatment of its citizens at the Ben Gurion Airport, Israel.
Ghanaian authorities said seven travellers, including four members of a parliamentary delegation attending an international cybersecurity conference in Tel Aviv, were detained for hours without cause on December 7.
While the four lawmakers were released after more than five hours of diplomatic intervention, the remaining three travellers were deported and have since returned to Ghana.
Accra described Israel’s actions as “provocative, unacceptable and inconsistent” with longstanding relations between both countries, which have spanned more than six decades.
The ministry rejected Israel’s justification that the incident stemmed from alleged non-cooperation by the Ghanaian Embassy in Tel Aviv, insisting that its mission had fully complied with international protocols.
Before the retaliatory deportations, Ghana had warned that it was considering appropriate reciprocal measures.
Israeli authorities have not publicly responded to Ghana’s latest action.