Israeli forces have intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters off the coast of Greece, detaining approximately 180 activists and sparking a serious diplomatic confrontation involving several governments. The flotilla — comprising more than 50 vessels that departed from ports in France, Spain, and Italy — was attempting to break Israel's maritime blockade of the Gaza Strip and deliver humanitarian aid to the war-devastated territory. Israeli forces boarded and detained the crews in the early hours of Thursday, nearly 1,000 kilometres from Gaza, before releasing most detainees in Greece following an arrangement with Greek authorities.
Two activists, Saif Abu Keshek, a Spanish-Swedish national of Palestinian origin, and Thiago Ávila, a Brazilian national, were separated from the group and transferred to Israel, where they have been held at Shikma prison in Ashkelon. An Israeli court extended their detention by two days on Sunday, and both men have been on hunger strike for six days, subsisting only on water. Israeli authorities have accused them of affiliations with Hamas, which governs parts of Gaza, and prosecutors have brought five security-related charges against them, including alleged membership of a terrorist organisation and assisting an enemy in wartime. Spain has flatly denied that Abu Keshek has any links to Hamas.
The Israeli human rights and legal centre Adalah, which provides services to Arab minority communities in Israel, has visited the two men and reported serious mistreatment. According to Adalah lawyer Lubna Tuama, both activists were subjected to interrogations of up to eight hours, kept in permanently lit, isolated cells, and blindfolded at all times outside their cells — including during medical visits, which the organisation described as a flagrant violation of medical ethics. Tuama said Ávila lost consciousness twice due to violence during the interception. The two men reportedly told their lawyers on Monday that while physical violence had ceased, they were being subjected to intense psychological pressure, including threats of prison sentences of up to 100 years. The Israeli foreign ministry denied all abuse allegations, with spokesperson Oren Marmorstein stating that "all measures taken comply with the law" and accusing the two detainees of having offered "physical and violent resistance" to security forces.
Meanwhile, British activists who were released said they required hospital treatment following the interception. Alice Chapman and Zak Khan, who are now in Crete, described being punched by Israeli soldiers; Khan, a Green Party local election candidate, said he was shot in the leg with a rubber bullet and beaten by four soldiers. He was also told by doctors he had narrowly avoided a broken jaw. Detainees reported being held on an Israeli prison ship under harsh conditions — sleeping in shipping containers, deprived of water during the day, and subjected to stun grenades at night. Thirty-four people were taken to hospital upon release, three by ambulance.
The interception has drawn sharp international condemnation. Brazil and Spain issued a joint statement denouncing what they called the "abduction of two of their citizens in international waters" and demanding their immediate return, describing Israel's actions as "a flagrant violation of international law, actionable in international courts." Italy's Rome prosecutor has opened an investigation into the incident. Legal experts have questioned whether Israel's blockade enforcement powers extend to waters nearly 1,000 kilometres from Gaza. Israel's foreign ministry has characterised the flotilla as a "provocative PR stunt" and insisted its actions were lawful. The UK Foreign Office said it was engaging with Israeli authorities and called on Israel to allow more aid into Gaza "in line with agreed minimum targets."