Testimonies of Recently Released Activists Reveal Grave Abuses by the Zionist Entity Against Members of the Soumoud Flotilla
Testimonies collected from several recently released activists have revealed serious abuses committed by the Zionist entity against members of the Soumoud Flotilla, who were arrested while attempting to break the blockade of Gaza. Among the victims of these violent acts is Tunisian journalist and photographer Yassine Gaïdi, a member of the executive bureau of the Tunisian National Journalists' Union (SNJT), who was violently assaulted during his detention. The incidents allegedly took place in Ofer prison, located in the Negev, about 16 kilometers from Gaza. Detainees claim to have heard the constant hum of warplanes heading towards the Gaza Strip, while they themselves faced physical and psychological repression. According to the Flotilla, the captured youths have begun an unlimited hunger strike since Thursday night, denouncing their detention conditions. Participants were isolated from each other and separated from Palestinian prisoners, in closely monitored cells. "It was enough to say that you were Tunisian, Libyan, or Algerian to be beaten and insulted," testified one of the released activists. Armed soldiers accompanied by dogs guarded the cells day and night. A Libyan activist from the "Omar Al-Mokhtar" ship was also allegedly threatened with non-expulsion and imprisonment, according to the same source. The Soumoud Flotilla also denounces continuous intimidation practices: "The jailers would enter every two hours to force them to sign documents or film them by force." These testimonies highlight the serious abuses committed by the Zionist entity against Maghrebi humanitarian activists and call for an urgent response from international human rights defense organizations.
