ISRAEL PERSPECTIVE

Tel Aviv, May 22, 2026. Haaretz, one of Israel's leading newspapers, has published two substantial investigations into the testimonies of activists detained after the interception of the Gaza flotilla. These accounts, collected directly from released individuals, describe arrest and detention conditions of extreme brutality — allegations that the Israeli prison service rejects point by point.

On May 19, Israeli forces arrested 430 people on 50 ships in international waters, ending an attempt to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. According to the organizers of the Global Sumud Flotilla, at least 15 cases of sexual abuse have been documented, with the most severe alleged to have occurred on an Israeli landing ship converted into a makeshift prison, equipped with barbed wire and metal containers.

The testimonies gathered by Haaretz are precise and named. Spanish activist Mi Hoa Lee describes being locked in a dark container, struck in the face against the walls, and subjected to repeated taser discharges for over a minute. Italian activist Ilaria Mancosu testifies to fractures to the ribs and arms, eye and ear injuries caused by tasers. The detainees allegedly spent two days on the ships without running water, without cover, and stripped of most of their clothing.

The most serious allegations concern the first ship: according to the organizers' statement, at least 12 sexual assaults were committed, including anal rape and penetration with a firearm. The Israeli prison service has formally denied all these accusations in a statement: "The allegations raised are false and entirely without factual basis. All detainees are treated in accordance with the law, in full respect of their fundamental rights, under the supervision of a professional and qualified prison staff."

The Israeli army referred questions to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which referred them to the prison service. Reuters reports that it was unable to independently verify the allegations, the prison service having failed to respond to additional information requests, as Friday is a holiday in Israel.

The publication of these testimonies in the Israeli press comes in a context of already intense international pressure. Germany has stated that some of its citizens were injured and that some accusations are "serious." Italy has opened an investigation into kidnapping and sexual assault.