Inside the Gaza Flotilla Detentions That Shocked the World

News Desk 

Tel Aviv/Istanbul/Rome: When 21-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg boarded the Global Sumud Flotilla last week, she joined hundreds of international peace campaigners hoping to symbolically challenge Israel’s naval blockade on Gaza. 

Days later, she and 450 others were detained, accused of attempting to “aid terrorism,” and thrust into an ordeal that activists now describe as “brutal, humiliating, and inhumane.”

On Monday, Israel confirmed the deportation of 171 activists to Greece and Slovakia, including Thunberg, after several days of detention that have ignited international outrage and triggered protests in multiple countries.

“We were treated like monkeys”

Accounts from the deported activists depict a grim picture of their treatment in custody. Italian journalist Saverio Tommasi told the Associated Press that detainees were mocked, harassed, and denied medical care. “We were treated like monkeys,” he said. “They wouldn’t let us look them in the eye — and when we did, we were hit.”

His compatriot, Lorenzo D’Agostino, described being forced to kneel for hours while soldiers pointed laser sights and unleashed dogs to intimidate detainees.

 “They made us stay on our knees for four hours,” he recalled after arriving in Istanbul. “If you raised your head, you got slapped.”

Another Italian activist, Cesare Tofani, speaking at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport, echoed similar experiences: “From the army to the police, there was harassment. We were treated terribly.”

Malaysian sisters: “We drank from toilet water”

Among those deported were Malaysian singers and humanitarian activists Heliza and Hazwani Helmi, who described “brutal” detention conditions in an interview with Turkey’s Anadolu Agency.

“Can you imagine — we drank from the toilet water?” Hazwani said tearfully. “Some people were very sick, and they [the Israelis] said, ‘Are they dead? If not, that’s not my problem.’”

Her sister Heliza added that detainees were deprived of food for days. “I ate on October 1. Today is my first meal,” she said on October 4. “For three days, I did not eat — only drank from the toilet.”

“Dragged on the ground,” “forced to kiss the flag”

Other activists alleged that Greta Thunberg, one of the flotilla’s most high-profile participants, was subjected to degrading treatment, claiming she was “dragged on the ground,” “forced to kiss the Israeli flag,” and “used for propaganda photos.”

Israel’s Foreign Ministry, however, has rejected the allegations as “brazen lies,” insisting that “all detainees’ legal rights were upheld” and that Thunberg and others “never complained of mistreatment.”

But in a remark that appeared to contradict the official line, far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir openly endorsed the hardline handling of the detainees. “Anyone who supports terrorism is a terrorist and deserves the conditions of terrorists,” he said, adding mockingly that the activists “were mistaken if they expected a red carpet.”

Ben-Gvir was later filmed jeering at detainees as they were brought ashore.

A humanitarian mission or a provocation?

The Global Sumud Flotilla — named after the Arabic word for “steadfastness” — set sail from Greek waters in late September, carrying symbolic aid and peace activists from more than 40 countries. Organizers said their mission was purely humanitarian, intended to highlight Gaza’s 17-year blockade, which they described as a “moral and legal outrage.”

Israel, however, maintains that the flotilla’s attempt to enter Gazan waters was a “security provocation” that threatened its sovereignty. Between Wednesday and Friday, Israeli naval forces intercepted the vessels in international waters, arresting the crew and participants.

The operation drew immediate backlash, with Pakistan, Turkiye, and Colombia issuing sharp condemnations, and Greece filing a formal protest. Street demonstrations erupted in Rome, Athens, Istanbul, Kuala Lumpur, and London, where protesters demanded the release of the detainees and an international inquiry into their alleged mistreatment.

A divided response

While Israel’s supporters argued that the flotilla risked aiding Hamas, human rights advocates insisted that the activists’ accounts revealed a disturbing pattern of abuse. “This was not a counterterrorism operation,” said a representative of the Free Gaza Movement. “This was collective punishment of civilians who dared to speak out.”

Israel has since deported most of the detainees, though dozens remain in custody pending what authorities describe as “security screening.”

For many participants, the experience has left lasting scars — but not regret. “They can deport us,” said Hazwani Helmi before boarding her flight home. “But they can’t deport our conscience.”

Background: The Global Sumud Flotilla follows in the footsteps of similar humanitarian efforts, including the 2010 Mavi Marmara mission, during which Israeli commandos killed nine Turkish activists in a deadly raid. Fifteen years later, the struggle over Gaza’s blockade — and the moral weight of resistance at sea — remains as contentious as ever.