Pro-Palestinian activists on board a Gaza-bound flotilla that was intercepted by Israeli forces have alleged they faced abuse and sexual violence while being held in detention, the BBC reported.
Out of the 430 people arrested onboard 50 ships that sailed from Turkey last week, at least 15 reported sexual assaults, including rape, The Guardian reported, quoting a Telegram post by organisers of the Global Sumud Flotilla.
Several others have been hospitalised with injuries. “Shot with rubber bullets at close range. Tens of people’s bones broken,” the post quoted by The Guardian stated.
The allegations come just days after about 20 countries condemned Israel’s far-right National Security Minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, for taunting detained flotilla activists kneeling with their hands tied behind their backs. Even Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticised Ben-Gvir’s actions, saying they were “not in line with Israel’s values and norms”.
Israel’s response
Israel’s prison service has denied the allegations, with one of its spokespersons calling them “false and entirely without factual basis”.
In a statement, the service wrote: “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.”
Margaret Connolly, right, embraces her daughter, Katie, at Dublin Airport as twelve Irish citizens who were detained by Israel arrive back in Ireland, Saturday, May 23, 2026. (AP Photo)
“Medical care is provided according to professional medical judgment and in accordance with Ministry of Health guidelines,” it added.
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The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) also denied the allegations, sharing with the BBC that its orders “require respectful and appropriate treatment of flotilla participants on the intercepted vessels, and there are clear and established procedures in this regard.”
“No specific incidents of deviation from these binding procedures are known within the IDF. Any concrete complaints submitted to the IDF on the matter will be examined thoroughly,” it stated.
Moreover, Israel’s government dismissed the action as a “PR stunt” that only serves the Palestinian armed group, Hamas. It also ordered commandos to board the boats west of Cyprus on Monday and Tuesday, the report stated.
Activists’ accounts
The activists, carrying food and medical aid supplies via international waters to the Gaza Strip, were subjected to some of the alleged abuse at sea after their interception by the Israeli Navy, while some, following their arrest in Israel, The Guardian report stated.
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Some activists from Germany, Italy, France, Spain, and Canada, who were deported on Thursday, have alleged abuse, torture, and sexual assault.
Italy: An Italian citizen, Luca Poggi, told Reuters after he arrived in Rome that they were stripped, thrown to the ground, and kicked. “Many of us were Tasered, some were sexually assaulted, and some were denied access to a lawyer,” the news agency quoted him as saying.
Activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla disembark a plane upon arriving at Istanbul Airport, in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, May 21, 2026. (AP Photo)
An Italian journalist, Alessandro Mantovani, claimed he was beaten up by Israeli forces after being taken to a detention facility made from shipping containers, describing it as a “place of terror,” BBC quoted.
UK: British activist Richard Johan Anderson, sharing with reporters, said: “We’ve been beaten, tortured, systematically dehumanised, and… we have just had a little taste of what the Palestinians go through every day.”
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France: French activist Meriem Hadjal, after returning to Paris, told the BBC she was “subjected to sexual violence and groping”. She alleged: “I was hit, slapped, touched, kneed in the ribs, my hair was pulled. I was traumatised for hours.”
Another French activist, Adrien Jouan, shared an Instagram post showing bruises across his back and forearms, Reuters verified.
About 37 French citizens returning from the flotilla told the news agency that five French participants were hospitalised in Turkey, with broken ribs or fractured vertebrae. They also shared detailed accusations of sexual violence, including rape, it quoted.
Nations condemn abuse
Prosecutors in Rome are currently investigating the possible crimes of kidnapping, torture, and sexual assault, and will hear more testimonies from activists who have returned to Italy, the Italian legal source told The Guardian.
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Spain: Spain’s foreign minister, José Manuel Albares, told reporters that out of the 44 Spanish flotilla members who arrived on Friday through flights from Istanbul to Madrid and Barcelona, four had received medical treatment for their injuries.
Germany: German foreign ministry spokesperson told The Guardian that German activists, returning to Istanbul, reported injuries and were being treated.
Activist Kokeb Boonk, right, is welcomed as she returns from the Global Sumud Flotilla at Schiphol airport in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Friday, May 22, 2026. (AP Photo)
Humane treatment of German nationals was an “absolute priority”, the spokesperson said, adding, “We naturally expect a full explanation, as some of the allegations that have been made are serious,” The Guardian quoted.
Canada: Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand, too, said that she had “received information from my officials which details the appalling abuse of Canadians who were detained in Israel.” She added, “Canada unequivocally condemns the grave mistreatment of Canadians in Israel. Those responsible for this egregious abuse must be held accountable.”
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Moreover, an Israel-based rights group representing the detainees, Adalah, also claimed detainees faced “severe, widespread injuries”, with at least three people receiving treatment.
The group’s lawyers, who spoke to many activists at Ashdod port, had received “a large number of complaints of extreme violence” by Israeli authorities.
