Several international activists deported from Israel after taking part in a Gaza aid flotilla have accused Israeli forces of mistreating Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg during detention.
A total of 137 deportees arrived in Istanbul on Saturday, including 36 Turkish nationals and others from the United States, Italy, Malaysia, Kuwait, Switzerland, Tunisia, Libya, Jordan, and additional countries, according to Turkish officials.
Turkish journalist and Gaza Sumud Flotilla participant Ersin Celik told local media he saw Israeli forces “torture Greta Thunberg,” claiming she was “dragged on the ground” and “forced to kiss the Israeli flag.”
Similar accounts were given by Malaysian activist Hazwani Helmi and American participant Windfield Beaver, who alleged that Thunberg was shoved and paraded with an Israeli flag.
“It was a disaster. They treated us like animals,” Helmi said, adding that detainees were denied food, clean water, and medication. Beaver said Thunberg was “treated terribly” and “used as propaganda,” claiming she was pushed into a room as far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir entered.
Italian journalist Lorenzo Agostino, another flotilla participant, told Anadolu that Thunberg was “humiliated and wrapped in an Israeli flag,” describing her as “a brave woman, only 22 years old, exhibited like a trophy.”
Other detainees also described harsh conditions. Turkish TV presenter Ikbal Gurpinar said, “They treated us like dogs. They left us hungry for three days. They didn’t give us water; we had to drink from the toilet. It was a terribly hot day, and we were all roasting.” She added that the ordeal gave her “a better understanding of Gaza.”
Turkish activist Aycin Kantoglu said they saw bloodstained prison walls and messages left by earlier detainees. “We saw mothers writing their children’s names on the walls. We actually experienced a little bit of what Palestinians go through,” she said.
Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani confirmed that 26 Italians had been deported, while 15 remained in Israeli custody awaiting expulsion.
Italian MP Arturo Scotto, who was aboard one of the flotilla boats, told reporters, “Those who were acting legally were the people aboard those boats; those who acted illegally were those who prevented them from reaching Gaza.”
Adalah, an Israeli legal rights group representing some detainees, said its clients reported being forced to kneel for hours with their hands zip-tied, denied medical treatment, and barred from speaking to lawyers.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry rejected the accusations as “complete lies,” insisting all detainees were treated lawfully. “Of course, all detainees were given access to water, food, and restrooms; they were not denied legal counsel, and all their legal rights were fully upheld,” a ministry spokesperson told Reuters.
Israel has faced growing international criticism for the raid, in which its navy intercepted about 40 boats carrying aid to Gaza and detained more than 450 people.
Critics say the operation highlights the illegality of Israel’s blockade, which has left Gaza’s 2.3 million residents isolated amid Israel’s ongoing war on the enclave.
The flotilla, launched in late August, was the latest global effort to break Israel’s siege and deliver humanitarian assistance to Palestinians.
Source: Al Jazeera
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