Israel Extends Detention of Two Gaza Flotilla Activists

An Israeli court has extended the detention of two pro-Palestinian activists, Saif Abu Keshek and Thiago Ávila, until May 10. The pair were arrested aboard a Gaza-bound flotilla intercepted in international waters near Greece on Wednesday. According to multiple reports, Judge Yaniv Ben-Haroush granted the extension based on reasonable suspicion of offenses including assisting the enemy during wartime, contact with a foreign agent, membership in and providing services to a terrorist organization, and transfer of property for a terrorist organization.

Saif Abu Keshek is a Spanish-Swedish national of Palestinian origin based in Barcelona who has been organizing Palestinian solidarity movements across Europe for more than 20 years. Thiago Ávila is Brazilian. The activists are part of the second Global Sumud Flotilla, which set sail from France, Spain, and Italy on April 12 aiming to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza by delivering humanitarian assistance.

The governments of Spain and Brazil issued a joint statement calling their detention illegal. Spain's Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares condemned the detention as a kidnapping made outside of Israel’s jurisdiction. He demanded Abu Keshek's immediate release, stating that no evidence had been presented linking him to Hamas. The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed Abu Keshek is a leading member of the Palestinian National Conference Abroad, which the U.S. says operates at the behest of Hamas.

Abu Keshek and Ávila reported being subjected to violence during their capture and transport. Ávila told lawyers he had been “dragged face-down across the floor and beaten so severely that he passed out twice.” Abu Keshek was “hand-tied and blindfolded … and forced to lie face-down on the floor from the moment of his seizure” until reaching Israel, according to rights group Adalah.

The interception has drawn protests and condemnation from rights groups and governments. Turkiye's Ministry of Foreign Affairs labeled it an act of piracy. Italy also condemned the interception as unlawful and demanded the immediate release of all Italians detained. The flotilla organizers reported that Israel “kidnapped” 211 of the 400 activists taking part, including a Paris city councillor.

Israeli authorities requested a four-day extension of their arrest. Their lawyer Hadeel Abu Salih denied the allegations, stating that the mission was meant to provide aid to civilians in Gaza. The rights group Adalah stated that the proceedings against the activists were “flawed and illegal.”

Both men have been on hunger strike for the past six days, according to Adalah. A lawyer with the group who represented the pair at Tuesday's hearing, Hadeel Abu Salih, told reporters: "We made it clear before the court today that, first of all, we are talking about an illegal detention that must end now." She described the detentions as an attempt by Israeli authorities "to criminalise any solidarity with the Palestinian people and any attempt to break the illegal siege on Gaza".

The Israeli foreign ministry has said the claims of torture are "false and baseless". It has also insisted that the interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) and the detention of dozens of participants complied with international law. The ministry said last week that the flotilla was a "PR stunt" and that Israeli forces had acted "to prevent the breach of a lawful blockade".

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said holding Ávila was "an unjustifiable action by the Israeli government, causes great concern, and must be condemned by all". The UN has warned that the humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire despite the ceasefire agreed by Israel and Hamas six months ago.