Activists have alleged abuse, sexual assault, and beatings by Israeli authorities after the flotilla interception.Israeli officials denied abuse allegations, saying detainees were treated lawfully and with medical care.EU members have discussed possible sanctions on Israeli minister Ben-Gvir amid renewed political pressure. Activists released from Israeli custody after being detained on a flotilla trying to bring aid to Gaza were subjected to abuse, organisers said on Friday, with several hospitalised with injuries and at least 15 reporting sexual assaults, including rape. Reuters was not immediately able
to verify the allegations. Israel’s prison service did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the accusations on Friday, a holiday in Israel. The Israeli military referred queries to the Foreign Ministry, which referred them to the prison service. On Thursday, the prison service said: “All prisoners and detainees are held in accordance with the law, with full regard for their basic rights and under the supervision of professional and trained prison staff. “Medical care is provided according to professional medical judgment and in
accordance with Ministry of Health guidelines,” it added. Israeli forces arrested 430 people on board 50 ships in international waters on Tuesday to halt a flotilla of volunteers trying to bring aid supplies to the Gaza Strip. READ | Six South Africans among 430 activists aboard Gaza flotilla The allegations of abuse will add to pressure on Israeli authorities to explain the treatment of the detainees, after a video of an Israeli cabinet minister in a prison mocking some of the activists sparked an international
outcry. Italy said EU members were discussing imposing sanctions on Itamar Ben-Gvir, the minister. “At least 15 cases of sexual assaults, including rape. Shot with rubber bullets at close range. Tens of people’s bones broken,” organisers of the Global Sumud Flotilla posted on the Telegram social media app. “While the world’s eye is trained on the suffering of our participants, we cannot emphasise enough that this is a mere glimpse of the brutality Israel imposes daily on Palestinian hostages.” ‘Stripped, thrown to the ground, kicked’
Luca Poggi, an Italian economist among those detained aboard the flotilla, told Reuters on 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.” Sabrina Charik, who helped organise the return of 37 French citizens from the flotilla, told Reuters five French participants had been hospitalised in Turkey, some with broken ribs or fractured vertebrae. Some had made detailed accusations of sexual violence, including rape, she
said. In an Instagram post by an activist group verified by Reuters, French national Adrien Jouen showed bruises across his back and on his forearms. Activists said some of the alleged abuse took place at sea after their interception by Israeli naval forces, and some following their arrest and imprisonment in Israel. Activists from several European countries were expected to arrive home on flights from Turkey after they were deported from Israel on Thursday. Spain’s Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares told reporters that 44 members
of the Spanish flotilla were expected to arrive throughout Friday on flights from Istanbul to Madrid and Barcelona. Four of them had received medical treatment for their injuries, he added. Western governments on Thursday had expressed their anger after Ben-Gvir posted a video of himself mocking activists being pinned to the ground in a prison. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on the sidelines of the NATO meeting in Sweden that he was in touch with all his EU counterparts “so that there may be
a quick decision to impose sanctions” on Ben-Gvir. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas proposed last year imposing sanctions on Ben-Gvir and another Israeli minister, but the proposal did not garner the necessary support from all 27 EU member countries at the time. “EU sanctions are discussed and adopted by the 27 EU Member States , and this is in unanimity,” EU foreign policy spokesperson Anouar El Anouni said at the European Commission’s daily press briefing on Friday, adding that he could not comment on
confidential discussions on sanctions.
Gaza flotilla, Global Sumud Flotilla, Israeli detention, alleged abuse, sexual assault, rape, Ben-Gvir, sanctions, EU, Italy, Spain, French citizens, Adrien Jouen