Flotilla detainee alleges abuse on Israeli naval vessel
A participant in the Global Sumud Flotilla has provided a first-hand account of violent detention by Israeli forces, alleging beatings, forced stripping, and inadequate medical care following the interception of their vessel in international waters.
An activist from the Global Sumud Flotilla has published a detailed account of a 52-hour detention aboard an Israeli military vessel, alleging that detainees were subjected to physical violence and held in repurposed shipping containers. The account concerns the interception of the sailboat *La Sirena* by Israeli naval forces in international waters near Cyprus on Monday, May 18.
The flotilla, which departed from Marmaris, Turkiye, on May 14, comprised over 50 sailboats carrying activists from more than 45 countries. The mission aimed to deliver symbolic humanitarian aid to Gaza and challenge what the participants described as an illegal naval blockade. Upon interception, Israeli forces boarded the vessels and detained 428 activists, transferring them to the *Nahshon*, a military landing craft converted into a floating detention facility.
According to the detainee’s narrative, the processing of activists upon arrival on the *Nahshon* involved allegations of beatings and the use of Tasers. The activist described being held in a metal shipping container on the deck, adjacent to a sealed area they identified as a torture container. Guards stationed on the deck were reported to have used stun grenades and strobe lights against the detainees, who were kept in an open compound exposed to the elements.
The detainee stated that after approximately two days at sea, the group was transferred to the Israeli port of Ashdod. There, further allegations of abuse emerged, including forced stripping and an incident where a guard allegedly thrust a folding knife towards the activist, resulting in a 4cm wound to the hand. The activist claimed no medical assistance was provided for this injury at the time, noting that the incident has since been documented by medical staff in Athens.
Subsequent to the port transfer, the activist was held at Ketziot prison in southern Israel. The account alleges that injured detainees were not provided medical attention and were crammed into small cells without adequate food or water. The Israeli Army was approached for comment regarding these allegations but had not responded at the time of publication.
