Ghana has deported three Israeli nationals in what officials describe as a reciprocal response to the “ill-treatment and unjustified deportation” of three Ghanaian travellers by Israeli authorities.
The Ghanaian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the action in a statement released on Wednesday and shared on X by Foreign Minister Sam Okudzeto.
According to the ministry, the Israelis arrived in Accra earlier in the day but were immediately expelled after officials concluded that their Ghanaian counterparts had been unfairly targeted at the Ben Gurion Airport.
“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 said.
The ministry added that Ghana summoned the Chargé d’Affaires of the Israeli Embassy in Accra as the ambassador is currently out of the country to register its protest.
Both countries have since agreed to seek an “amicable resolution” to the diplomatic dispute. Ghana reiterated that it would “continue to safeguard the dignity of its nationals and also that of other nationals,” stressing that it expects its citizens to receive the same respect abroad that foreign nationals enjoy in Ghana.
In a related development, Accra had earlier condemned the detention of seven Ghanaian travellers at the Ben Gurion Airport on December 7.
Among them were four members of a parliamentary delegation attending an international cybersecurity conference in Tel Aviv. The lawmakers were held for more than five hours before being released after diplomatic intervention.
The remaining three travellers were deported and have since returned to Ghana, prompting Wednesday’s retaliatory measure.
Ghana described Israel’s conduct as “provocative, unacceptable and inconsistent” with the six-decade relationship between both nations. It also rejected Israel’s claim that the incident was due to a lack of cooperation from Ghana’s Embassy in Tel Aviv, insisting that its mission had complied fully with international protocols.
Before acting, Ghana had warned it was considering appropriate reciprocal steps.
As of press time, Israeli authorities had not publicly responded to Ghana’s latest action.
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