Greta Thunberg says Israel tortured her, other Gaza flotilla activists

Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg says she and other activists with the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla were subjected to mistreatment and torture while being held in Israeli prisons after the regime’s naval forces apprehended them in international waters.  

During a news conference in Stockholm on Tuesday, Thunberg said that she and others were “kidnapped and tortured” by the Israeli military, but declined to provide further details initially. 

When pressed, she mentioned the lack of access to clean water and the deprivation of critical medication for other detainees. 

Thunberg personally expressed reluctance to share the specifics of what she experienced, as she did not want the focus to be on her personal ordeal, emphasizing that the real issue was the daily suffering of people in Gaza. 

Thunberg was part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, a group of vessels aiming to deliver aid supplies to Gaza and draw attention to the hardships faced by the besieged territory's residents, most of whom have been displaced and are experiencing widespread hunger according to the United Nations. 

Following her detention along with 478 others in the flotilla, Thunberg was expelled by Israel on Monday. 

Israel has dismissed the flotilla as a publicity stunt benefiting the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas, and has previously detained Thunberg at sea in a similar attempt to breach the blockade of Gaza in June. 

Thunberg and other participants also expressed dissatisfaction with the level of support provided by the Swedish government during their detainment. 

In response, the Swedish government stated that it had consistently advised against travel to Gaza, but had still offered consular support to the activists and emphasized to Israel the importance of treating Swedish citizens well.

The Global Sumud Flotilla, made up of over 50 vessels, set sail from Barcelona late last month to deliver aid to Gaza and challenge what human rights groups have condemned as one of the harshest and most inhumane blockades in the world.

The flotilla was near the Gaza shore when Israeli forces intercepted the humanitarian convoy overnight last Wednesday, while it was sailing in international waters.

The Israeli military seized more than 40 boats, detained the activists on board, and took them to the Israeli-occupied territories.

Israel 'beat, tied up and tortured' Gaza flotilla activists in prison

David Adler, another participant of the aid-carrying flotilla who was deported by Israeli forces, said he and his fellow detainees experienced regular physical abuse, restraint, psychological torment, and deprivation of food and medical care over a period of five days in Israeli prisons. 

Adler, a Jewish American activist who serves as the co-general coordinator of the left-wing organization Progressive International, told Middle East Eye after his release that they were forcibly transported to Ashdod port and subsequently to Ketziot prison, located in the Negev desert following the violent interception.

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Describing the treatment upon arrival at Ashdod, Adler mentioned that they were forcefully brought to their knees and subjected to positions of submission. 

The activist further noted that he and another Jewish member of the flotilla "were taken by the ear and ripped from the group for a photo op” with Israel’s far-right minister Itamar Ben Gvir.

Ben Gvir visited the detention site and derogatorily referred to the detained activists as “terrorists,” while they were subjected to taunting by his associates, he added.

According to Adler, their belongings and boats were stolen before they left Ashdod. 

He described the activists as being stripped, zip-tied, blindfolded, and sent to an internment camp in a police van without access to food, water, or legal support. 

During their time at Keziot Prison, Adler reported that the group experienced psychological torture over the next five days.

If a detainee made a request for necessities such as insulin for diabetes treatment, they were taken out of their cells, beaten, handcuffed, ankle cuffed, and left in solitary confinement. 

Adler further emphasized that they were treated as “terrorists,” adding that riot groups visited their cells with tear gas, riot gear, and German Shepherds dogs in an attempt to terrify and terrorize them. 

He also stressed that the prison conditions were far from normal and reflected a concerning disregard for international humanitarian law by Israel. 

Adler further revealed that the detained American activists had received “absolutely zero consular service,” recounting the dismissive and harsh treatment they faced at the border with Jordan from US officials. 

In summary, Adler characterized their experience as a 'Ben Gvir-Trumpian nightmare', underscoring the challenges faced by a group of individuals attempting to deliver aid amidst the daunting circumstances.

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