Report details further allegations that Gaza flotilla activists were abused by Israel
An investigation published Friday by The New York Times expanded allegations of physical and, in some cases, sexual abuse made by Gaza flotilla activists after they were detained at sea by Israeli forces and briefly jailed in Israel before being deported earlier this year. Israel has repeatedly denied the allegations.Israel detained more than 430 activists from countries around the world after intercepting them in international waters beginning on May 18 as they made the latest in a string of attempts to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza.Activists immediately began alleging abuse in interviews with Israeli legal aid groups and then after returning home, fueling growing international outrage after far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir posted a video in which he was seen taunting activists, who were forced to kneel on the ground, with their hands tied, at an Ashdod port facility.The New York Times said that it had interviewed…
A New York Times investigation has expanded on allegations of physical and sexual abuse by Gaza flotilla activists detained by Israeli forces earlier this year. The report, based on interviews with 24 activists and a review of medical records, details claims of beatings, taser shocks, and being shot with rubber bullets or beanbag rounds. Seven activists reportedly required hospitalization for injuries including fractured ribs and a collapsed lung. One Australian activist, Juliet Lamont, alleged she was physically assaulted and raped in a shipping container, a claim Israel's foreign ministry has dismissed as "an outright lie." The Israel Defense Forces and the Israel Prison Service deny all claims of abuse, stating detainees were held "in accordance with the law, with full regard for their basic rights." Italy and France have opened probes into National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir's actions against their nationals.
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