Gaza-bound aid flotilla activists subjected to electric shocks, severe abuse in Israeli custody: Rights group

Adalah says at least 3 activists hospitalized, dozens suffered suspected broken ribs and breathing difficulties

According to testimonies recorded by the Israeli rights organization Adalah on Wednesday, activists detained from the Global Sumud aid flotilla headed for Gaza suffered physical and psychological abuse as well as electric shocks while in Israeli custody.
According to the group, at least three activists had been admitted to the hospital with serious injuries, and dozens more were suspected of having breathing problems and broken ribs as a result of violence during detention.
Adalah claimed that its legal team had gathered corroborating testimony showing that detained activists were frequently subjected to electric shocks.
It also recorded stories of detainees being made to walk while completely bent forward and kneel for extended periods of time, among other painful and degrading positions, during their transfer to Ashdod Port.
Adalah claims that several female activists taking part in the flotilla had their headscarves forcibly removed by Israeli authorities.

According to the group, at least three activists had been admitted to the hospital with serious injuries, and dozens more were suspected of having breathing problems and broken ribs as a result of violence during detention.
Adalah claimed that its legal team had gathered corroborating testimony showing that detained activists were frequently subjected to electric shocks.
It also recorded stories of detainees being made to walk while completely bent forward and kneel for extended periods of time, among other painful and degrading positions, during their transfer to Ashdod Port.
Adalah claims that several female activists taking part in the flotilla had their headscarves forcibly removed by Israeli authorities.
According to the group, detainees are scheduled to appear before a court or other appropriate authority on Thursday to discuss their detention prior to deportation proceedings.
After Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir posted video of activists kneeling with their hands cuffed behind their backs and their faces facing the ground while the Israeli national anthem played in the background on social media earlier on Wednesday, Adalah accused Israeli authorities of pursuing a “criminal policy of abuse and humiliation.”

After Israel stopped the Global Sumud Flotilla headed for Gaza in international waters, the activists were moved to Ashdod Port.
Adalah claims that information about the detainees’ whereabouts, legal status, and general well-being has also been “severely restricted.”
In a fresh effort to end the unlawful Israeli blockade of Gaza that has been in place since 2007, the flotilla left the Turkish neighborhood of Marmaris last Thursday.
The flotilla had experienced similar incidents before.
The Israeli army attacked flotilla boats in international waters near the Greek island of Crete in late April. 345 people from 39 nations, including Turkish nationals, were part of the convoy at the time.
Since 2007, Israel has imposed a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip, putting the 2.4 million people living there in danger of starvation.
In October 2023, the Israeli army began a bloody two-year offensive on Gaza that resulted in over 72,000 fatalities, over 172,000 injuries, and extensive destruction throughout the besieged area.

After Israel stopped the Global Sumud Flotilla headed for Gaza in international waters, the activists were moved to Ashdod Port.
Adalah claims that information about the detainees’ whereabouts, legal status, and general well-being has also been “severely restricted.”
In a fresh effort to end the unlawful Israeli blockade of Gaza that has been in place since 2007, the flotilla left the Turkish neighborhood of Marmaris last Thursday.
The flotilla had experienced similar incidents before.
The Israeli army attacked flotilla boats in international waters near the Greek island of Crete in late April. 345 people from 39 nations, including Turkish nationals, were part of the convoy at the time.
Since 2007, Israel has imposed a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip, putting the 2.4 million people living there in danger of starvation.
In October 2023, the Israeli army began a bloody two-year offensive on Gaza that resulted in over 72,000 fatalities, over 172,000 injuries, and extensive destruction throughout the besieged area.