“We were hearing, every day, the screams of other Palestinians who were being tortured inside this investigation center.”
Spanish citizen Saif Abukeshek, an activist of Palestinian origin, speaks with Democracy Now! about spending 10 days in Israeli detention after he was abducted in international waters. He was among 175 international activists sailing to Gaza as part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, which has for years tried to breach Israel’s maritime blockade of Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid to Palestinians.
Abukeshek and Brazilian activist Thiago Ávila were the only flotilla members detained for “questioning” inside Israel, where they say they faced severe physical abuse in detention. Abukeshek, speaking from Turkey, says being dual nationals provided them some protection because of international attention. “Imagine how Palestinians are being treated. Imagine the violations that people from Palestine are receiving,” he says.
This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.
Democracy Now! | Radio Free (2026-05-12T12:49:54+00:00) I Was Kidnapped by Israel in Int’l Waters, Jailed for 10 Days: Gaza Flotilla Activist Saif Abukeshek. Retrieved from https://www.radiofree.org/2026/05/12/i-was-kidnapped-by-israel-in-intl-waters-jailed-for-10-days-gaza-flotilla-activist-saif-abukeshek-2/
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