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ISLAMABAD: Brazilian activist Thiago Avila has accused Israeli forces of rape, torture, and severe abuse against detained Gaza flotilla activists following the interception of a humanitarian aid convoy headed toward Gaza. In a video statement shared on X, Avila said activists detained aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla were subjected to violence and sexual assault while being transferred by Israeli forces after the flotilla was intercepted in international waters. &quot;There is no easy way to say it, but I have to say people got raped,&quot; Avila said in the video. &quot;Those monstrous soldiers, they raped participants. It was not one, not two, not three, it&#39;s many cases of sexual violence against our participants.&quot; <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2057570882483003746&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=6b8d496f192b105f528ac21c5fc5e495293e4a34&theme=light&widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 897px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> &quot;Many people with broken ribs, many people with broken bones, the arms, the collar bones,&quot; he said, describing Israeli authorities as &quot;a genocidal state that takes pleasure in violence.&quot; Activists describe tortureBelgian activist Julien Cabral said the activists were beaten, restrained and denied proper medical treatment during detention. Speaking after arriving in Istanbul, Cabral said Israeli forces boarded their vessel in international waters and used violence despite activists raising their hands, AFP reported. &quot;I took a punch to the left temple,&quot; he said, adding that detainees were transferred with plastic ties around their hands onto what he described as a &#39;prison ship&#39;. &quot;My hands were tied so long I almost vomited&quot;, one activist recounted. Avila also claimed that evidence and medical examinations were being collected for possible legal action before international courts, including the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ). &quot;All the 428 people here are doing medical examinations. We are doing reports. This will all become legal cases,&quot; he said. &quot;This needs to go everywhere, don&#39;t let this be normalized.&quot; Some 430 activists from countries around the world had been placed in detention in Israel after they were intercepted at sea on Monday while making the latest in a string of attempts to break the blockade of the Palestinian territory, AFP reported. Human rights groups and UN experts have previously raised concerns over allegations of abuse and mistreatment of Palestinian detainees in Israeli custody, although Israel has denied systematic abuse allegations. <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2055435101484257411&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=6b8d496f192b105f528ac21c5fc5e495293e4a34&theme=light&widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 878px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> Israel&#39;s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir sparked widespread condemnation and diplomatic backlash on Wednesday by posting a video showing the detained activists with their hands tied and foreheads on the ground. Israel said on Thursday it had deported all the foreign activists seized by Israeli forces from a Gaza-bound flotilla, following global outcry over their treatment in custody. Avila also referred to Palestinian detainees held in Israeli prisons, claiming conditions faced by flotilla activists represented &quot;only a small fraction&quot; of what Palestinians experience in detention.

A member of the Global Sumud Flotilla headed for Gaza and arrested and deported by Israel flashes the V-sign outside a terminal following their arrival at Istanbul Airport on May 21, 2026. (AFP)

Middle East

Europe

Activists deported after the interception of Gaza-bound aid vessels say detainees suffered violence, humiliation, and medical neglect while in Israeli custody; Brazilian activist Thiago Avila says evidence and medical examinations will be collected for possible legal action before international courts.

Gaza flotilla activists describe assault during Israeli detention, say ‘people were raped’

ISLAMABAD: More than 400 pro-Palestinian activists aboard 41 vessels in a Gaza-bound aid flotilla were detained by Israeli naval forces after a 12-hour operation, an Israeli official said Thursday, according to AFP. &ldquo;In an operation that lasted roughly 12 hours, Israeli Navy personnel foiled a large-scale incursion attempt by hundreds of individuals aboard 41 vessels that had declared their intention to breach the legal maritime security blockade on the Gaza Strip,&rdquo; the official said. The detainees, more than 400 in total, were taken to the port of Ashdod for processing, Israeli authorities confirmed. Organizers of the voyage, the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), said 443 volunteers were aboard, some transferred onto a cargo vessel before being brought ashore, Reuters reported. Netanyahu praises interceptionPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the naval operation, saying it had prevented &ldquo;dozens of vessels from entering the war zone&rdquo; and had &ldquo;repelled a campaign of delegitimisation against Israel.&rdquo; The interception took place on Yom Kippur, Israel&rsquo;s holiest day. The GSF began its voyage last month with around 45 vessels carrying politicians, activists, and rights campaigners, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg. The United Nations has warned that famine has taken hold in Gaza. The Israeli navy intercepted vessels throughout Wednesday and Thursday, warning participants against entering what it described as blockade waters. Thunberg&rsquo;s boat was among those halted. Deportations to Europe plannedIsrael&rsquo;s foreign ministry said the activists would be deported to Europe, posting photos of Thunberg and others aboard a yacht. &ldquo;Hamas-Sumud passengers on their yachts are making their way safely and peacefully to Israel, where their deportation procedures to Europe will begin,&rdquo; the ministry said on X. Global ReactionsRights group Amnesty International condemned the interception as &ldquo;an act of intimidation intended to punish and silence critics of Israel&rsquo;s genocide and its unlawful blockade on Gaza.&rdquo; Turkey called the move &ldquo;an act of terrorism&rdquo; and opened an investigation after Turkish nationals were detained. Spain summoned Israel&rsquo;s top envoy in Madrid, noting 65 Spaniards were on board, while prosecutors launched a probe into possible crimes against humanity. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum demanded the &ldquo;immediate&rdquo; repatriation of six Mexican nationals, stressing they had &ldquo;committed no crime.&rdquo;&nbsp; South Africa also called for the release of all detainees, including Mandla Mandela, grandson of anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela. Israel has previously blocked flotilla attempts in June and July this year.

Pro-Palestinian activists aboard a Gaza-bound aid flotilla were detained by Israel, sparking international condemnation. Nations including Turkey, Spain, and South Africa demanded activist releases, while Israel has defended enforcing its maritime blockade.

Articles tagged with "Activists"

Gaza flotilla activists describe assault during Israeli detention, say ‘people were raped’

Over 400 Gaza flotilla activists detained by Israel

Gaza flotilla activists describe assault during Israeli detention, say ‘people were raped’