DayofPal—The Global Sumud Flotilla stated that activists abducted aboard Gaza-bound vessels by Israeli forces were subjected to sexual violence, physical assaults and humiliating treatment while in Israeli prisons.
In a statement, the flotilla said testimonies gathered from released members pointed to “a pattern of severe physical and sexual violence and systematic degradation” following the interception of the convoy off the coast of Crete on April 29.
The humanitarian aid flotilla said that at least four activists were sexually assaulted while in Israeli custody, with two detainees reportedly subjected to severe abuse by touching their private parts, including anal penetration with a finger and forceful strikes to the genitals.
Other participants reported repeated assaults on their private parts alongside verbal sexual abuse and humiliating treatment.
According to the statement, activists were also subjected to deliberate deprivation tactics including exposure to cold conditions, confiscation of warm clothing and inadequate access to food, water and bedding, resulting in cases of hypothermia and hyperthermia.
The flotilla said the abuses reflected “a broader pattern of treatment intended to dehumanize those standing in solidarity with the Palestinian people.”
The Global Sumud Flotilla, including more than 50 vessels, set sail from France, Spain and Italy on April 12 in an effort to break Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip and deliver humanitarian aid to the enclave, a home to about 2.3 million Palestinians, after two years of Israeli genocide and amid a fragile ceasefire.
However, Israeli forces intercepted 22 boats of the flotilla in international waters off the coast of Greece and abducted the activists on board. All of those detained were later released, Said Abu Keshek and Thiago Ávila remain in Israeli custody and now on a hunger strike.
Israel’s attack on the flotilla has prompted protests and condemnation from rights groups and governments. The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs called it an “act of piracy”.
“They were denied adequate food and water. They were forced to sleep on floors that were deliberately and repeatedly flooded” aboard an Israeli navy vessel in Greek waters, the flotilla organizers said in a statement following the release of the activists.
“When the military moved to abduct two participants, our crew peacefully resisted and the response was sheer violence. Participants were punched, kicked, and dragged across the deck with their hands bound behind their backs. They suffered broken noses, cracked ribs and bloody beatings. Shots were even fired at them in the chaos.”
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