Israel extends detention of 'tortured' Gaza flotilla activists

Israel extends detention of 'tortured' Gaza flotilla activists Submitted by MEE staff on Sun, 05/03/2026 - 15:55 Saif Abu Keshek and Thiago Avila of the Global Sumud Flotilla were both mistreated in Israeli detention Activist Thiago Avila, a member of the Global Sumud Flotilla detained by Israel, sits in a Magistrate's Court during a hearing on the extension of his detention in Ashkelon, southern Israel, on 3 May 2026 (Amir Cohen/Reuters) Off An Israeli court has extended by two days the detention of two activists arrested aboard a Gaza-bound flotilla intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters, their lawyer said on Sunday. Saif Abu Keshek, a Spanish-Swedish national of Palestinian origin, and Thiago Avila, a Brazilian national, were detained by Israeli authorities late on Wednesday and brought to Israel, while more than 100 other pro- Palestine activists aboard the Global Sumud flotilla were taken to the Greek island of Crete. According to the Brazilian embassy, Avila said he had been subjected to torture, beatings and mistreatment in Israeli detention.