Australian activists who were detained by Israel after attempting to deliver aid to Gaza have returned home, alleging they were subjected to sexual assault, beatings and torture while in custody. Nine of the 11 Australians who participated in the Global Sumud Flotilla arrived at Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane airports on Monday, where they were greeted by hundreds of supporters.
The activists, dressed in grey sweatsuits bearing the Israeli prison service logo, shared harrowing accounts of their treatment. Climate activist Violet CoCo alleged she was detained at gunpoint, stripped, beaten, kicked and sexually assaulted. She claimed soldiers took photos of her naked body and denied her access to food, water and a lawyer. “It was only four days of my life, but it felt like months,” she told Guardian Australia.
Other activists reported similar experiences. Surya McEwan said he suffered a fractured cheekbone, a lung contusion and a concussion after being repeatedly punched and kicked. Neve O’Connor alleged she was “abused, physically beaten and assaulted”, while Juliet Lamont claimed she was sexually assaulted and had so much water thrown in her face that she thought she was drowning. Guardian Australia has not been able to independently verify these claims.
Israel has denied the allegations, with Ambassador to Australia Hillel Newman stating that detainees were handled with “great sensitivity” and that no one was harmed. However, a video posted by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir showing detainees kneeling with their hands zip-tied sparked international backlash. Newman described Ben-Gvir’s actions as “disgraceful” and said they were condemned across Israel.
The activists have called for a meeting with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, with CoCo saying they were “utterly failed by our government”. Albanese responded that he would not meet with individuals he does not know without notice, but reiterated that the government had condemned Ben-Gvir’s behaviour. The Israeli embassy in Canberra did not respond to a request for comment.
