Flotilla activists allege abuse and sexual assault in Israeli custody after Gaza aid mission

Flotilla activists were released from Israeli custody after being detained aboard an aid flotilla bound for Gaza were subjected to abuse, organisers alleged on Friday. Many were hospitalised with serious injuries after around 100 detainees were freed, while at least 15 reported sexual assaults, including rape.

Germany said some of its nationals had been injured and that some accusations were "serious", without giving further details. A legal source in Italy said prosecutors there were investigating possible crimes including kidnapping and sexual assault.

"The allegations raised are false and entirely without factual basis," an Israeli prison service spokesperson said in a statement.

"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," it said. "Medical care is provided according to professional medical judgment and in accordance with Ministry of Health guidelines."

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Allegations of sexual assault

Israeli forces detained 430 people aboard 50 vessels in international waters on Tuesday after intercepting a volunteer flotilla attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.

Allegations of sexual abuse have increased pressure on Israeli officials to clarify the treatment of detainees following the circulation of a viral video showing an Israeli Cabinet Minister allegedly mocking some of the activists.

The footage, which showed detainees kneeling with their hands bound by cable ties while Israel’s national anthem played in the background, has intensified scrutiny of the Israeli government over the alleged mistreatment of the activists.

"We're very concerned by these reports," UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said when asked about the allegations at a regular briefing on Friday.

Mistreatment of the detainees

Global Sumud Flotilla, the organisers of the aid shipment, said that the group has shown about 15 cases of sexual abuse, with the worst occurring on one Israeli landing craft which had been converted into a makeshift prison with barbed wire and shipping containers.

Detainees were thrown into the containers and beaten over the head and ribs, the group said in a statement.

They suffered multiple cases of sexual abuse, including "humiliating strip searches, sexual taunting, groping and pulling of genitals, and multiple accounts of rape."

"At least 12 sexual assaults have been documented on that vessel alone, including anal rape and forcible penetration by a handgun," it added.

The statement came after Israel’s prison service broadly denied allegations of mistreatment, rape, and sexual assault. Reuters said it had submitted additional detailed allegations to the prison service but had not received a response by Friday evening, which was a public holiday in Israel.

Mi Hoa Lee, an activist from Spain, said she was forced into the darkened container on the ship, according to a video interview included with the flotilla's statement.

"Four men started beating me in the face against the wall, and I fell down and then stood up again, again to the floor, stood up again, and they started tasering me for more than one minute," she said, pointing to her ribcage, hips and back where she said they applied the taser.

"Then they kept beating me until I almost lost my conscience," she added.

Prosecutors in Rome are also investigating alleged offences including kidnapping, torture, and sexual assault, and are expected to hear testimony in the coming days from activists who recently returned to Italy, news agency Reuters reported.