Deadly Torture of “Samud” Fleet Activists in Israeli Detention

According to information obtained by the British newspaper The Guardian, political activist Greta Thunberg told Swedish officials that after her arrest and transfer from a humanitarian aid convoy to Gaza, she faced harsh treatment and deadly conditions in an Israeli detention center.

Swedish government communications obtained by The Guardian indicate that another detainee reported that Israeli forces took photographs of Thunberg while forcing her to hold unidentified flags. In an email sent by the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Thunberg’s relatives, an official who met with her in detention stated that she claimed to be held in a bedbug-infested cell with minimal access to water and food.

The email stated: “The embassy was able to meet with Greta. She reported a lack of water and said she was not receiving sufficient food. She also mentioned skin rashes and irritations, likely caused by bedbugs. She described the harsh treatment, including being forced to sit for long periods on hard surfaces.”

A Swedish official added: “One of the detainees told another embassy that they saw Greta being forced to hold flags for photographs. She was concerned that the images may have been published.”

These accounts were corroborated by at least two other members of the same convoy, who were released on Saturday.

Ersen Çelik, a Turkish activist and member of the Samud fleet, told Anadolu Agency, “In front of us, they pulled little Greta’s hair, beat her, and forced her to kiss the Israeli flag. They did everything imaginable to her to intimidate the others.”

Lorenzo D’Agostino, a journalist and fellow activist, stated after returning to Istanbul that Thunberg was “wrapped in the Israeli flag and displayed like a trophy”—a scene witnesses recalled with disbelief and anger.

Thunberg was among 437 activists, parliamentarians, and lawyers participating in the “Global Samud Caravan,” an alliance of more than 40 ships carrying humanitarian aid intended to break Israel’s 16-year blockade of Gaza.

Between Thursday and Friday, Israeli forces intercepted all ships and detained all passengers. Most were held in the high-security Ketziot prison, notorious as an Israeli torture facility in the Negev Desert.

According to lawyers from the NGO Justice, detainees’ rights were “systematically violated,” including denial of access to water, sanitation, medicine, and legal counsel, constituting a “blatant violation of the right to a fair trial and access to a lawyer.”

The Italian legal team confirmed that detainees were “left for hours without food or water until midnight,” except for “a single packet of chips given to Greta and displayed on camera.”

The Guardian also reported instances of verbal and physical abuse.

On Thursday night, Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s Minister of National Security, visited Ashdod and labeled the detainees “terrorists” while standing in front of them. A spokesperson confirmed that the video was recorded at the Ashdod port. Some activists shouted in response: “Free Palestine.”

Ben-Gvir had previously demanded the activists be imprisoned rather than expelled. This is the second time Thunberg has been detained while attempting to break the Gaza maritime blockade; earlier this year, she was detained and subsequently expelled.

A French doctor on one of the convoy ships reported that Israeli officers deliberately prevented detainees from sleeping and particularly mocked Thunberg.

A Swedish official noted in an email that Thunberg was forced to sign a document but refused, as she did not know its contents.

The Guardian reached out to Israel’s Prison Service, the Israeli military, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment; none responded.

The Swedish Foreign Ministry stated that embassy officials met with nine detained Swedes on Friday.

According to a statement from the Ministry: “The Swedish Embassy in Tel Aviv continues to engage with Israeli authorities to emphasize the importance of the detainees’ prompt release to Sweden. The embassy has also stressed the need to address their medical requirements and ensure immediate access to safe water, food, and legal counsel for all detainees if they wish.”

However, the Israeli embassy dismissed these allegations as “completely false,” claiming, “All detainees of the Hamas–Samud convoy had access to water, food, and restrooms; they were not denied access to lawyers, and all legal rights, including medical care, were respected. Israel is a law-abiding country committed to upholding the rights and dignity of all individuals in accordance with international standards.”