Australian activists detained by Israeli authorities after an attempt to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip have arrived back in Australia, with organisers alleging that some volunteers endured sexual assault, beatings and other forms of mistreatment while in custody.
Organisers of the mission said the flotilla - which comprised about 50 boats and 430 volunteers from 40 countries - was intercepted in international waters by Israeli forces seeking to prevent the delivery of supplies to Gaza. Eleven Australians were among those detained.
One activist reached Melbourne on Sunday evening, and further returnees arrived in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane on Monday, according to the accounts provided to Reuters. Organisers and some of the returning activists told Reuters that several detainees required hospital treatment after the incident.
Juliet Lamont, an Australian activist and documentary filmmaker, told Reuters that during her detention she was dragged, sexually assaulted and beaten. "That was just the beginning of four days of absolute hell. I’ve looked into the eyes of the most soulless people in the universe, and nothing came back. These people need to be stopped," she said.
Another Australian participant, Sam Woripa Watson, described sustaining a fractured rib and multiple bruises and cuts. Watson also said he saw other activists being tasered and hit with rubber bullets, and that stun grenades were thrown during the operation.
Global Sumud Flotilla, the organisers of the aid shipment, issued a statement saying it had documented at least 15 incidents of sexual abuse. The organisation said the most severe alleged abuses occurred on an Israeli landing craft that had been converted into a makeshift detention area of barbed wire and shipping containers. The group released its statement following a blanket denial from Israel’s prison service denying allegations of mistreatment, rape and sexual assault.
The allegations have further increased international pressure on Israel, a dynamic that was intensified after a video posted by Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir showed him taunting activists who were restrained on the ground. The footage drew widespread condemnation, and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong described it as "shocking and unacceptable."
Australia last year imposed a travel ban and financial sanctions on Ben-Gvir for incitement of violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, a measure referenced in the context of the current controversy.
Israel’s prison service has categorically denied the allegations of abuse. Reuters was unable to independently verify the claims made by activists and organisers.
Context and immediate developments
The detained volunteers were intercepted in international waters, and many of those involved came from a wide array of countries. The returning Australians and their accounts have become focal points for renewed criticism and diplomatic reaction.
The situation remains contested, with official denials and activist allegations in direct conflict. Investigations or independent verification were not reported in the material reviewed.