Two activists from a Gaza-bound flotilla have appeared before an Israeli court after being brought to the country for interrogation, according to Adalah, the legal rights group representing them.
Saif Abu Keshek, a Spanish national, and Thiago Ávila, from Brazil, appeared before a court in Ashkelon on Sunday, where the state requested a four-day extension of their detention, said Miriam Azem, Adalah’s international advocacy coordinator. The application was granted.
Allegations of brutality
Lawyers from Adalah met the two detainees at Shikma prison in Ashkelon on Saturday. In statements relayed by the group, both men described what they said was severe mistreatment during and after the interception of the flotilla.
According to Adalah, Ávila told the lawyers he had been “subjected to extreme brutality” when the vessels were seized. He said he was “dragged face-down across the floor and beaten so severely that he passed out twice”. Since arriving in Israel, he added, he had been kept in isolation and blindfolded.
Abu Keshek reported that he was “hand-tied and blindfolded … and forced to lie face-down on the floor from the moment of his seizure” until the vessel reached Israel.
Adalah stated that the treatment — which included isolation, prolonged blindfolding and physical beatings — constituted a grave violation of international law. Organisers of the flotilla separately alleged that Israeli authorities had denied activists food and water and forced them to sleep on flooded floors.
Both Abu Keshek and Ávila have launched a hunger strike, according to reports.
Israel’s accusations
Israel’s foreign ministry said the two activists were affiliated with the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad (PCPA), an organisation that was sanctioned by the US Treasury in January 2026. Washington has accused the PCPA of “clandestinely acting on behalf of” the Palestinian militant group Hamas. The PCPA has rejected the sanctions as politically motivated, describing itself as an independent organisation.
The foreign ministry said Abu Keshek was a leading member of the PCPA, and that Ávila was also linked to the organisation and “suspected of illegal activity”.
Abu Keshek is of Palestinian origin and holds dual Spanish-Swedish citizenship. Ávila is a humanitarian and climate activist who has served as a coordinator for the Freedom Flotilla Coalition and a Steering Committee member of the Global Sumud Flotilla.
International reaction
Spain has condemned the detention of Abu Keshek and rejected the Israeli accusation. Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares described the detention as an “illegal detention” and “kidnapping” in international waters, outside Israeli jurisdiction, and called for his immediate release. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s government formally recognised Palestinian statehood in 2024.
Brazil’s government has also condemned what it termed the “kidnapping of two of their citizens” and called for the immediate release of all detained activists, reaffirming its support for freedom of navigation in international waters.
Flotilla background
The flotilla, known as the Global Sumud Flotilla — the name derived from the Arabic word for ‘steadfastness’ — set sail from France, Spain and Italy with the aim of breaking Israel’s blockade of Gaza. The Spring 2026 action involved more than 50 vessels, and organisers said it was the largest coordinated civilian maritime effort for Palestine, with over a thousand participants from more than 70 countries.
Israeli forces intercepted the flotilla in international waters off Greece on Thursday, 30 April 2026. Israel said it removed 175 activists, two of whom were taken to Israel for questioning. Organisers claimed that 211 individuals were “kidnapped”.
The interception took place more than 620 miles (1,000 km) from Gaza, according to flotilla organisers, who said their equipment was smashed, leaving them facing a “calculated death trap at sea”. Dozens of the intercepted activists disembarked on Friday at the Greek island of Crete.
Previous voyages of the Global Sumud Flotilla in the summer and autumn of 2025 also drew international attention. Israeli forces intercepted boats off the coasts of Egypt and Gaza in early October 2025, and crew members — including Swedish activist Greta Thunberg — were arrested and expelled. Ávila himself was previously detained in June 2025 aboard the Madleen vessel, then deported to Brazil after refusing to sign deportation documents. Adalah has represented hundreds of activists from previous flotillas detained by Israeli authorities.
