BARCELONA, Spain (AP) 鈥� Israeli authorities said Friday they were taking two high-profile activists who led an , and who were captured by Israel in international waters of the Mediterranean Sea, to Israel for questioning. The governments of Spain and Brazil accused Israel of 鈥渒idnapping鈥� its citizens.
The activists, Spanish-Swedish citizen of Palestinian origin Saif Abukeshek and Brazilian citizen Thiago 脕vila, were among dozens of activists intercepted by the Israeli navy off the coast of Crete. They are members of the Global Sumud Flotilla’s steering committee, whose mission was to break Israel’s naval blockade and bring some humanitarian aid to the .
In all, 22 boats and 175 activists were . Activists said Israeli forces stormed their vessels, smashed engines and detained some of those onboard. The incident occurred hundreds of miles (kilometers) from Gaza and Israel overnight from Wednesday to Thursday.
Israeli officials said they needed to take early action against the flotilla before it reached Israeli waters because of the high number of boats involved.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry said Friday on X that it was taking the two activists to Israel for questioning, and that Abukeshek was 鈥渟uspected of affiliation with a terrorist organization鈥� and 脕vila was 鈥渟uspected of illegal activity,” without providing evidence.
In a joint statement, the governments of Brazil and Spain condemned 鈥渢he kidnapping of two of their citizens in international waters by the Government of Israel.” Unlike other flotilla participants who were disembarked in Crete, the Spanish and Brazilian activists remained detained aboard an Israeli navy ship in Greek territorial waters.
鈥淭his flagrantly illegal action by the Israeli authorities outside their jurisdiction constitutes a violation of International Law, which may be invoked before international courts, and may constitute a crime in our respective national jurisdictions,鈥� the statement added.
The governments of both nations demanded the immediate return of their citizens and immediate consular access.
Activists say they were mistreated by Israeli forces
The Global Sumud Flotilla appealed for international support to pressure Israel to release the activists. It said it was particularly concerned for Abukeshek, who was aboard an observer boat and did not plan on sailing to Gaza, and 脕vila.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 know if they are still in Greek waters,鈥� 脕vila’s spouse, Lara Souza, said. She added that Brazil’s government told her that once the two activists were taken to international waters, it would become more difficult to achieve their release.
In an audio message released Friday, Spain’s Foreign Minister Jos茅 Manuel Albares demanded Abukeshek’s immediate release. Around 30 other Spanish citizens disembarked in Crete and were assisted by the embassy in Greece, he said.
Flotilla organizers said Israeli authorities denied activists food and water and forced them “to sleep on floors that were deliberately and repeatedly flooded.鈥�
When Israeli forces proceeded to take Abukeshek and 脕vila away, the group resisted and were met with 鈥渟heer violence,鈥� flotilla organizers said in a statement Friday. 鈥淧articipants were punched, kicked and dragged across the deck with their hands bound behind their backs. They suffered broken noses, cracked ribs and bloody beatings. Shots were even fired at them in the chaos.鈥�
Some 34 people, including citizens of the U.S., Australia, Colombia, Italy, Ukraine and others were injured and taken to the hospital upon disembarkation, organizers said.
Israeli authorities did not immediately respond to the accusations. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Thursday that activists 鈥渢aken off the vessels were taken off unharmed.鈥�
Of the 53 vessels that had been sailing prior to the interception, 31 reached safe waters and would continue their attempts to 鈥渂reak the illegal siege of Gaza,鈥� organizers said. The flotilla , Spain.
The Greek Foreign Ministry said Thursday that it had asked Israel to withdraw its ships from the area and offered its 鈥済ood services鈥� for the activists to disembark in Greece and be repatriated.
US condemns the flotilla
Protests in solidarity with the flotilla erupted across several capitals including in Rome, Athens and Istanbul.
The U.S. government described the flotilla as a 鈥減ro-Hamas initiative鈥� and called on allies to deny the vessels’ port access, among other actions.
鈥淭he United States expects all our allies, particularly those who have committed to supporting President Trump鈥檚 successful 20-Point Plan, to take decisive action against this meaningless political stunt,鈥� the State Department said.
The flotilla鈥檚 latest attempt to reach Gaza comes less than a year after a previous effort by the group. involved about 50 vessels and around 500 activists, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, Nelson Mandela鈥檚 grandson , and several lawmakers.
Israel arrested, detained and later deported the participants, including 脕vila, who while in detention. Israeli authorities denied the accusations.
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