PARTICIPANTS in the Global Sumud Flotilla have given accounts of alleged abuse, assault and torture following their interception by Israeli forces, with calls for an independent international investigation.
Speaking from Istanbul after their release, activists have described being subjected to violence including rubber bullets fired at close range, tasers used on the face and upper body, and stun grenades deployed among detainees.
Testimonies also detail prolonged stress positions under constant bright light, as well as allegations of sexual violence, including strip searches, groping and rape.
Some of the most serious allegations relate to what participants described as a “torture boat” — an Israeli naval vessel where detainees were allegedly processed and held in makeshift detention areas constructed from shipping containers and barbed wire.
It comes after footage released by Ben-Gvir on Wednesday showed him walking among some of the approximately 430 detainees. In one, activists with their hands tied behind their backs are kneeling, their heads touching the floor inside what appears to be a makeshift detention area on the deck of a ship.
Yassine Benjelloun, who had previously taken part in flotilla missions, described being beaten after being forced into a dark container.
“He throws me in a container that is dark, and all of a sudden, I hear, ‘Welcome to Israel.’ And I start getting hit, like first hit on the head, second hit in the ribs, then I fall, then they kick me.
"And I'm hearing people screaming, and all of a sudden people stop screaming, and I don't see anything, and I don't know what's going to happen.”
Veronica Otero, who said she witnessed the processing of around 180 detainees over three days, claimed widespread injuries among those held.
“I can say that all were in many ways abused, not one single person walking with nothing. Among them there were 36 fractures, many broken ribs, torso, shoulders, and back. People were in agony. People were not breathing due to the broken ribs.”
Other participants alleged they were singled out for humiliation, including one French activist who said he was targeted after soldiers commented on his appearance.
The flotilla group claims at least a dozen incidents of sexual assault took place on the vessel, including allegations of rape and other forms of sexual violence. These allegations have not been independently verified.
Activists also reported further mistreatment at Ashdod port, including beatings, interrogations and degrading treatment.
Catriona Graham said the experiences of those detained reflected a wider reality for Palestinians.
“We need to make sure we are very clear that what we experienced was a tiny percentage of what Palestinians in Israeli prisons experience every single day.”
The Global Sumud Flotilla has called for a full international investigation into the incident, as well as sanctions against Israel and access for the International Committee of the Red Cross to Palestinian detainees.
The Israeli government have been contacted for comment.
The flotilla, made up of more than 50 boats, departed for Gaza last week from Turkey, near Cyprus. Organisers said they want to draw renewed attention to the conditions for nearly two million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Israel has called the flotilla “a PR stunt at the service of Hamas” with no real intent to deliver aid to Gaza. Israeli forces began stopping the boats around 167 miles from the Gaza coastline, according to the flotilla’s website.
