Truthout is a vital news source and a living history of political struggle. If you think our work is valuable, support us with a donation of any size.

“We were hearing, every day, the screams of other Palestinians who were being tortured inside this investigation center.”

Spanish citizen Saif Abukeshek, an activist of Palestinian origin, speaks with Democracy Now! about spending 10 days in Israeli detention after he was abducted in international waters. He was among 175 international activists sailing to Gaza as part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, which has for years tried to breach Israel’s maritime blockade of Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid to Palestinians.

Abukeshek and Brazilian activist Thiago Ávila were the only flotilla members detained for “questioning” inside Israel, where they say they faced severe physical abuse in detention. Abukeshek, speaking from Turkey, says being dual nationals provided them some protection because of international attention. “Imagine how Palestinians are being treated. Imagine the violations that people from Palestine are receiving,” he says.

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.

AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, The War and Peace Report. I’m Amy Goodman, with Juan González.

Israeli Military Ordered Soldiers in Gaza to “Shoot to Kill” Every Man They Saw

Israel has deported two activists who were violently abducted from a Gaza-bound humanitarian aid flotilla. They were abducted by Israeli forces in international waters last month. The activists were sailing with the Global Sumud Flotilla, which was challenging Israel’s maritime blockade and trying to deliver humanitarian aid to Palestinians devastated by years of war.

Thiago Ávila of Brazil and Spanish national Palestinian Saif Abukeshek were among 175 international activists forced off their aid ships at gunpoint. While most of the activists were released in Crete, Abukeshek and Ávila were taken to Israel for so-called questioning, according to Israeli authorities. Hadeel Abu Salih, an attorney on their legal team, called their detention unlawful and a, quote, “sham proceeding with no legal basis, intended to punish them for attempting to challenge Israel’s illegal blockade on Gaza,” unquote. The attorney also said they both faced severe physical abuse by their Israeli captors.

The governments of Brazil and Spain, President Lula of Brazil and the prime minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, condemned Israel’s actions and called for the immediate release of their citizens.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry accused Abukeshek and Ávila of affiliation with the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad, or PCPA, an organization U.S. and Israeli officials have claimed is a front for Hamas, although no charges were brought against the two men, and they were released and deported on........

© Truthout