Harsh Testimonies from Freedom Flotilla Activists After Their Release from an Israeli 'Floating Prison'

Live testimonies given by activists from the 'Global Freedom Flotilla' revealed atrocities committed by Israeli forces against them during their three-day detention at sea. Field sources reported that the activists, who arrived in Crete, Greece, showed signs of extreme exhaustion and ill-treatment, describing what they endured as a blatant violation of international laws applicable in regional and international waters.

Sources clarified that Israeli naval forces intercepted the flotilla's ships, which were carrying humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, and transferred about 180 activists aboard a war destroyer. A part of this military vessel was converted into what resembled a 'floating prison,' where the solidarity activists were placed in extremely cramped spaces lacking the most basic human necessities, amid a severe shortage of food and drinking water supplies.

One eyewitness recounted harsh details about the detention conditions, confirming that Israeli soldiers deliberately and repeatedly poured water into the areas designated for the detainees' sleep. This deliberate action made it impossible to sleep or move normally, prompting some activists to use pieces of wet mattresses as makeshift shoes to protect their feet from water and cold, while all their personal belongings, clothes, and phones were confiscated.

Upon the arrival of the first batch of released individuals to the shores of Crete via Greek coast guard boats, ambulances and buses were waiting to provide initial care. The survivors confirmed that they remained deprived of contact with the outside world or access to consular services throughout their abduction at sea, noting that the priority now is to secure their basic needs and contact their families.

In a related context, human rights reports confirmed that the release operation was not comprehensive, as the occupation still detains activists Saif Abu Kashk and Thiago Avila. Sources stated that Israeli authorities transferred the activists to Tel Aviv to begin a round of investigations, amid security allegations accusing them of participating in illegal activities and belonging to banned organizations, which the organizers deny entirely.

This Israeli aggression comes within the framework of attempts to thwart the 'Global Freedom Flotilla,' which includes more than 20 boats loaded with medicines and food supplies destined for the besieged residents of the Gaza Strip. Observers believe that the use of military force against civilian solidarity activists in international waters represents a dangerous escalation that places the international community before its legal and moral responsibilities to protect humanitarian convoys.

Diplomatic and legal efforts are currently underway to follow up on the fate of the remaining activists held by the occupation authorities, amid international demands for an independent investigation into the conditions of the activists' detention and their exposure to beatings and humiliation. The Freedom Flotilla file remains open to possibilities of political escalation, especially with the organizers' insistence on continuing efforts to break the naval blockade imposed on Gaza despite ongoing threats.

I have been barefoot for days, and I had to use parts of the mattresses we slept on so I could move because our detention place was flooded with water.