Key Facts

• Two foreign activists, Saif Abu Keshek from Spain and Thiago Avila from Brazil, were detained after their Gaza-bound flotilla was stopped by Israeli forces near Greece.
• The flotilla consisted of over 50 vessels from France, Spain, and Italy aiming to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza and deliver supplies.
• The activists appeared in an Israeli court in Ashkelon, which extended their detention by two days.
• Israeli authorities accused them of offenses including aiding the enemy during wartime and supporting a terrorist group.
• Their lawyers argued their detention was unlawful as they were taken from international waters and that the activists are part of a humanitarian aid mission.
• The activists reported severe physical abuse, including beatings and isolation, but Israeli officials deny any torture or mistreatment.
• No formal charges have yet been filed against the activists.
• The rights group representing them called for their immediate release, stressing the humanitarian nature of their mission.