ISTANBUL, May 8 — The Global Sumud Flotilla said yesterday that activists detained after Israel intercepted its Gaza-bound aid mission were subjected to sexual violence, physical assaults and degrading treatment while in Israeli custody, Anadolu Ajansi (AA) reported.
In a statement, the group said testimonies gathered from released participants 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 at least four activists were sexually assaulted while in Israeli custody, with two detainees reportedly subjected to severe abuse involving inappropriate touching of their private parts.
Other participants reported repeated assaults involving their private parts alongside verbal sexual abuse and humiliating treatment.
According to the statement, detainees 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 group said the alleged abuses reflected “a broader pattern of treatment intended to dehumanise those standing in solidarity with the Palestinian people”.
The statement also expressed concern over the continued detention of activists Thiago Avila and Saif Abu Keshek, who remain in Israel and are reportedly on a hunger strike.
The Global Sumud Flotilla’s Spring 2026 mission, which aimed to break Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip and deliver humanitarian aid, was intercepted by Israeli forces late on April 29 off the coast of Crete.
Israeli forces reportedly intervened in international waters, attacking boats carrying activists about 600 nautical miles from Gaza and just a few miles from Greek territorial waters.
A total of 177 activists were detained and reportedly subjected to ill-treatment.
Reports stated that Avila and Abu Keshek, who have not been released since being forcibly taken to Israel, were subjected to severe physical abuse and death threats during interrogation.
Israel has imposed a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip since 2007, leaving the territory’s 2.4 million people on the verge of starvation.
The Israeli military launched a two-year offensive on Gaza in October 2023, killing more than 72,000 people, injuring over 172,000, and causing widespread destruction across the besieged territory.
