An activist from the Global Sumud Flotilla humanitarian mission has described being captured by Israeli forces and held on a military vessel for over 50 hours after they were intercepted in international waters while heading to Gaza.
On May 14, a flotilla of more than 50 sailing vessels carrying activists departed from Marmaris, Turkey, aiming to defy Israel's illegal naval blockade of Gaza. By the afternoon of May 18, Israeli naval forces intercepted the ship La Sirena in international waters near Cyprus. Over the next two days, Israeli troops boarded all the boats and arrested 428 activists from more than 45 countries. Seven people on La Sirena were held at gunpoint and transferred to the Nahshon — a military landing ship converted into a floating prison.
According to the account, after initial processing, the activist was thrown into a metal container and beaten. A blow to his left ear left him with only a ringing sound. He was shoved through a white door into an area where six containers were arranged in a rectangle, where others were also being detained. From inside, he saw a sticker on the container door reading "F*** Hamas" alongside Israeli and American flags. Guards at four corners on the upper deck kept their guns trained on them at all times.
Throughout the detention, prisoners were treated brutally. Israeli forces repeatedly stormed the detention area, throwing stun grenades and firing rubber bullets. They were crammed into the container with suffocating air. Food and water were severely restricted: sometimes only 12 or 24 liters of water for more than 170 people, along with frozen white bread loaves thrown onto the wet deck. Many suffered broken ribs, fractures, abrasions, and burns from stun guns.
The activist described how the torture seemed to intensify hour by hour, and those with Turkish or Arab features were often held longer. Certain nationalities and skin colors had to endure longer inside the torture container.
After 52 hours on the ship, they were taken to the Israeli port of Ashdod. There, they continued to be beaten, forced into uncomfortable positions, and dragged through a temporary processing area. The activist had a 4 cm wound inflicted on his hand when a guard stabbed him with a folding knife, but he received no medical care. He was also forced to strip to the waist. Others reported that everyone taken into a curtained-off area was forced to undress and threatened with knives.
They were then transferred to Ketziot prison in southern Israel, where the injured were not given medical attention. They were crowded 30 to a small cell for hours without food or water.
The activist concluded: "What we experienced in 72 hours at sea and on land, Israel has perfected over decades by detaining and depriving Palestinians." He said the strength to endure came from solidarity — from warm gestures, tearing clothes to make bandages for each other, and hugging to stay warm during cold nights.
The editorial team contacted the Israeli military for comment on the allegations in this article, but had not received a response at the time of publication.
