Utolsó frissítés: 2026.05.23. — Szerző: Anti-Propaganda News Blog
Shocking testimonies from those arrested from a flotilla heading to Gaza and who were sexually assaulted, raped and beaten by Israeli forces.
Activists released from Israeli captivity after the interception of a Gaza aid flotilla have reported physical and sexual abuse, flotilla organizers said Friday. At least 15 reported sexual harassment, including rape.
„At least 15 cases of sexual harassment, including rape. They were shot at close range with rubber bullets. Dozens of people had their bones broken,” the organizers of the Global Sumud Flotilla posted on Telegram.
„"While the eyes of the world are on the suffering of our participants, we cannot fail to emphasize that this is just a glimpse into the brutality that Israel applies to Palestinian hostages every day," they added in the statement.
The reports came after the Israel Prison Service (IPS) on Wednesday doubled down on its abusive treatment of forcibly detained activists, despite numerous testimonies detailing beatings, interrogations and humiliation, as well as rape and sexual assault.
IPS responded to a flood of international criticism after a video showed Itamar Ben-Gvir, the far-right Israeli Minister of Public Security, grinning as flotilla detainees were handcuffed, pushed, dragged and abused.
„"When receiving the detainees, prison guards were required to take measures to maintain order and security at the site. All measures were carried out in accordance with procedures and professional considerations," IPS reported.
IPS also claimed that some of the detainees seen in the widely circulated videos were not under IPS's responsibility at the time they were filmed.
However, rights groups have stated that the humiliation, sexual abuse, and torture of detainees and prisoners has become systematic in Israel.
Dr. Mimi Syed, an American doctor who volunteered in Gaza amid Israel's war on the enclave, told The New Arab that Israel's treatment of those aboard the flotilla is illegal.
„"We can't treat activists and humanitarian workers like this. It's absolutely outrageous that there are witnesses who say people have been raped and there are obvious signs of violence - I've seen some photos of activists with bruises and broken bones, things like that, which are completely unnecessary," he said.
„There is video footage of officials deliberately attacking some activists, which is simply unprecedented. I am not surprised, given that the Israeli government is doing this to civilians in Gaza, the abuse of activists in other countries is similar to what has been shown to the world over the past two and a half years,” he continued.
Several photos and videos shared this week show flotilla activists being forced to kneel, their heads bowed to the ground, while being surrounded by Israeli prison guards.
The footage, some of which was shared by Ben-Gvir, was condemned by several states, while Poland, France, Italy, Canada, Australia, Belgium, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom summoned Israeli ambassadors to clarify why their citizens were mistreated.
The liberal Israeli newspaper Haaretz asked the country's Foreign Ministry whether the treatment of the flotilla activists was acceptable, but received no response.
„When a country can do whatever it wants with complete impunity, nothing is off limits to it. They do whatever it takes to achieve their goals, which are land grabbing, ethnic cleansing, genocide, displacement of millions of people. This is not just the case in Gaza, but in the West Bank and Lebanon as well,” Syed continued.
Activists aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla in Istanbul also revealed on Friday that the abuse they suffered included rubber bullets fired at close range, tasers fired in the face, stun grenades thrown at groups of people, hours of stressful positions in bright lights, the forced removal of hijabs and sexual taunts.
They said the sexual assault included stripping, groping, pulling of genitals, and rape.
According to organizers, based on testimonies from those released from custody, some of the most horrific accounts come from those aboard a single ship, the „torture ship.”.
„I can tell you that everyone was abused in many ways, not a single person was walking with anything. There were 36 fractures, many broken ribs, torso, shoulders and backs. People were in excruciating pain. People were not breathing [due to broken ribs],” Veronica Otero told reporters.
Testimonies of abuse and rape
More than 50 ships participated in the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), with 430 people on board from over 40 countries, and since armed Israeli naval commandos began intercepting the fleet in international waters, many have given detailed accounts of the abuse they suffered.
An Australian activist, Zack Schifield, who has since been deported to Istanbul, said that all members of the flotilla were treated brutally.
„Her hands [and] feet were tied and then she was dragged through the rest of the processing center before being taken to a prison bus,” he told reporters, referring to an Irish woman who was part of the flotilla group.
„"There was no consistency in the violence. It really depended on the whim of the guard in front of you," he continued, adding that he had seen many people receive similar or worse treatment.
Juliet Lamont, an Australian filmmaker, said she was sexually assaulted and beaten by Israeli soldiers, noting that she saw others – at least 40 – suffer broken bones, while others were treated with sedatives and a stun gun.
Activists said prison guards restricted access to food and water and made them sleep on cold, wet floors for days without mattresses or blankets in cramped conditions.
Brazilian activist Thiago Avila told The New Arab that he was beaten unconscious and Israeli forces threatened to kill him.
Meanwhile, Luca Poggi, an Italian economist who was aboard the flotilla, confirmed reports of sexual harassment: „They stripped us, threw us to the ground, kicked us. Many of us were shocked, some were sexually assaulted, and some of us were denied access to lawyers,” he told reporters after being deported to Rome.
SOURCE: HERE
