Activists released from Israeli detention have levelled grave allegations of systemic abuse, including 15 reports of sexual assault and rape, following the seizure of a Gaza-bound aid flotilla earlier this week.
Organisers of the Global Sumud Flotilla on Friday claimed that several participants required hospitalisation for serious injuries, including broken bones and wounds from rubber bullets fired at close range, reports Al Jazeera and The Guardian.
The allegations follow the interception of 50 vessels by Israeli forces in international waters on Tuesday, during which 430 volunteers attempting to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip were detained.
‘Stripped and tasered’
Luca Poggi, an Italian economist among those held, described a harrowing ordeal upon his arrival in Rome. “We were stripped, thrown to the ground, kicked. Many of us were Tasered, some were sexually assaulted, and some were denied access to a lawyer,” Poggi told Reuters.
Similar reports emerged from other European contingents. Sabrina Charik, an organiser for the French participants, confirmed that five French citizens were hospitalised in Turkey with injuries including fractured vertebrae and broken ribs.
Adrien Jouan, a French national, shared images on social media showing extensive bruising across his back and forearms.
In Spain, Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares reported that 44 Spanish members were returning via Istanbul, noting that four had required medical treatment.
International outcry
The allegations have sparked a diplomatic backlash, exacerbated by video footage showing Israel’s Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, mocking activists as they were pinned to the ground in prison.
The Italian Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani, indicated that European Union members are currently discussing the imposition of sanctions against Ben-Gvir. Meanwhile, prosecutors in Rome have initiated an investigation into potential crimes of kidnapping, torture, and sexual assault.
Germany has also demanded a “full explanation,” describing the accusations from its nationals as “serious.”
Israel denies allegations
The Israeli prison service has categorically denied the claims, describing them as “false and entirely without factual basis.” In a formal statement, a spokesperson insisted that all detainees were held in accordance with the law and received professional medical care.
The Israeli military and foreign ministry referred all further enquiries regarding the treatment of the 430 activists back to the prison service.
Organisers of the flotilla maintained that the treatment of international volunteers provides only a “glimpse” of the daily conditions faced by Palestinian detainees. Most activists were deported from Israel on Thursday and are expected to complete their return journeys through Turkey this weekend.
