Australian activists detained by Israel while participating in an aid flotilla for Gaza have returned home, with organizers alleging mistreatment, sexual assault, and beatings that left some requiring hospitalization.
One activist arrived in Melbourne on Sunday evening, while others reached Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane on Monday.
Juliet Lamont, an Australian activist and documentary filmmaker, told Reuters on Monday that she was dragged, sexually assaulted, and beaten during her detention. Lamont described the experience as “four days of absolute hell,” adding that she saw “the most soulless people in the universe.”
Another activist, Sam Woripa Watson, said he suffered a broken rib along with multiple bruises and cuts across his body. Watson also reported witnessing activists being subjected to electric shocks, rubber bullets, and stun grenades.
Eleven Australians were among 430 volunteers on 50 boats intercepted in international waters last week by Israeli forces aiming to block the aid flotilla bound for Gaza. The flotilla involved participants from 40 countries.
Aid flotilla organizers said activists were kidnapped from international waters and faced abuse during Israeli detention, with at least 15 people reporting sexual assault or rape.
Meanwhile, a senior Malaysian official said the country is ready to initiate legal proceedings against Israel over allegations of mistreating Malaysian activists, once lawyers complete gathering information and evidence.
Amirudin Shari, Chief Minister of Malaysia’s Selangor state, stated: “We will not be silent. We will not stop. While the legal team collects documents on violations of international law, they [flotilla participants] were repeatedly kidnapped. They were tortured.”
Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir last week posted a video showing him gloating as activists from the flotilla knelt on the ground, blindfolded and bound, at the port of Ashdod. The video sparked global outrage, with France announcing a ban on Ben-Gvir’s entry.
The foreign ministers of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, UAE, Indonesia, Pakistan, Egypt, and Turkey condemned Ben-Gvir’s actions toward the activists as “horrific, humiliating, and unacceptable.” In a joint statement, they said Ben-Gvir’s “deliberate public humiliation” of prisoners violated Israel’s obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law.
