Israel faces mounting international outrage over allegations of rape, beatings and humiliation of international activists detained on a flotilla attempting to break its naval blockade of Gaza.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.A string of countries, including France, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Greece, Spain, Ireland and the Netherlands, have called out the alleged abuse of their nationals after Israeli commandos boarded and detained participants of the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters last month.
At least 67 out of the roughly 420 people detained on the flotilla trying to deliver symbolic aid to the battered Palestinian enclave were taken to the hospital after their captivity, and 12 were ultimately hospitalized, according to flotilla organizers.Organizers said participants recounted how Israeli forces fired “rubber” bullets at them at close range, used tasers on faces and upper bodies, and threw stun grenades into groups.
Other allegations included being forced to hold stress positions for hours, women having their hijabs forcibly removed and enduring “humiliating strip searches, sexual taunting, groping and pulling of genitals and multiple counts of rape.” Anal rape and “forcible penetration by a handgun” were also among the allegations.Several flotilla members had broken bones, with one captain, Arno Meys, suffering a punctured lung that prevented him from flying for at least a month, organizers said.
A second member had a broken foot and a third a broken leg, with the same patient being monitored over concerns of internal bleeding and cardiac arrhythmia, they said.French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said last week that he had received reports of “sexual violence, exposure to the cold, beatings, and repeated humiliation of French nationals.” The alleged abuses were likely to constitute criminal offenses, he told France Inter radio on Friday, according to...