source: reuters
Australian activists detained by Israel while on a flotilla attempting to deliver aid to Gaza have returned home, with organisers alleging abuse, sexual assault, and beatings, that left some detainees in hospital.
Israel’s prison service has denied the allegations, which Reuters could not independently verify.
Eleven Australians were among the 430 volunteers on 50 boats intercepted in international waters last week by Israeli forces aiming to stop the flotilla delivering aid supplies to the Gaza Strip. The flotilla included people from 40 countries.
One activist reached Melbourne on Sunday evening, while others arrived in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane on Monday.
Juliet Lamont, an Australian activist and documentary filmmaker, told Reuters on Monday she was dragged, sexually assaulted and beaten when she was detained.
“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,” Lamont said.
Another Australian activist, Sam Woripa Watson, said he sustained a fractured rib along with bruises and cuts across his body. Watson also said he had witnessed activists being tasered and shot with rubber bullets, with stun grenades thrown at them.
