Gaza Herald – Adalah human rights center said that its legal team, composed of lawyers and volunteers, provided legal consultations to hundreds of detainees from the “Freedom Flotilla” and the “Global Sumud Flotilla” inside the port of Ashdod, under strict Israeli restrictions that prevented full access to all detainees.
The center stated that its legal team documented testimonies describing severe attacks, injuries, and forms of humiliation with a sexual dimension during detention and transfer operations, adding that all detainees were initially processed by Israeli immigration officers, while most were later transferred to Ketziot Prison.
According to Adalah, the collected testimonies indicate systematic violations of procedures, alongside widespread physical and psychological abuse against the participants.
The center reported consistent accounts of excessive force used during the interception of the vessels and the transfer of detainees, resulting in serious injuries, with at least three participants reportedly hospitalized before being returned to detention.
Lawyers also documented dozens of cases of suspected rib fractures and breathing difficulties, in addition to testimonies of repeated use of electric shock devices and rubber bullets during transfers to Israeli naval vessels.
Adalah further stated that detainees were subjected to degrading treatment at the port, including being forced to walk bent forward while guards pushed them violently, and in some cases being made to kneel for long periods inside boats.
The center added that the violations were not limited to physical abuse but also included insults, incitement, and sexual harassment, as well as forcible removal of the hijab from some female participants.
Adalah confirmed it continues to monitor the detainees’ situation, noting that they are expected to be brought before an Israeli judicial authority for hearings related to their continued detention and pending deportation. The center emphasized it will seek access to these hearings to provide legal representation.
It reiterated its call for the immediate and unconditional release of all flotilla participants, stating that their detention was carried out unlawfully.
