Gaza-bound flotilla reports sexual violence, physical assaults against activists in Israeli custody

The Global Sumud Flotilla said Thursday 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.

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 that at least four activists were sexually assaulted while in Israeli custody, with two detainees reportedly subjected to severe abuse by touching their private parts.

Other participants reported repeated assaults on 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 abuses reflected “a broader pattern of treatment intended to dehumanize those standing in solidarity with the Palestinian people.”

The statement also expressed concern about the continued detention of activists Thiago Avila and Saif Abu Keshek, who are still in Israel and 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 intervened in international waters, attacking boats carrying activists around 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 said Avila and Abu Keshek, who have not been released since being forcibly taken to Israel, have been 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 army launched a brutal two-year offensive on Gaza in October 2023, killing more than 72,000 people, injuring over 172,000, and causing massive destruction across the besieged territory.