Gaza Aid Boat Activists Launch Hunger Strike Over Israeli Detention

More than a dozen international activists detained by Israeli authorities after their aid boat bound for Gaza was intercepted have begun a hunger strike in protest against their continued imprisonment, according to a local NGO.

The activists were aboard the Handala, a vessel operated by the Freedom Flotilla coalition, which was stopped by the Israeli navy while attempting to breach the long-standing military blockade on Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid.

Summary of Events

Details

• Total Passengers on Board: 21
• Countries Represented: 10
• Notable Passengers:
  • Two French lawmakers
  • Two Al Jazeera journalists
  • Israeli-American dual nationals
• Deported or Released:
  • At least five agreed to summary deportation
  • Two dual nationals released after interrogation
  • Lawmakers and journalists reportedly en route out of Israel

Human Rights Concerns

The legal aid group Adalah reported:

• The 14 activists who refused expedited deportation faced hearings at Givon Prison.
• During proceedings, they emphasised the humanitarian nature of their mission, intended to challenge the “illegal siege” and “genocide” against Palestinians in Gaza.
• One US activist recounted being subjected to severe physical violence by Israeli forces.
• Detainees are reportedly held in poor conditions and have initiated an open hunger strike.
• Adalah insists that treating their entry as an immigration violation is illegal, as they were forcibly taken from international waters.

Official Action

• The tribunal upheld the continued detention of the 14 activists.
• Israeli authorities maintain the activists violated immigration laws.

This incident follows a similar case in June, when the Madleen, another Freedom Flotilla vessel carrying 12 campaigners, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, was also intercepted. All aboard were eventually expelled from Israel.

The Freedom Flotilla continues its efforts to challenge Israel’s blockade of Gaza, while rights organisations press for accountability over the treatment of detained humanitarian volunteers.