Fifty-two hours on an Israeli prison ship

The author recounts the harrowing experience of being detained by Israeli naval forces as part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, an initiative aimed at challenging the blockade of Gaza. The fleet, comprising over 50 sailboats carrying activists and symbolic humanitarian aid, set sail from Marmaris, Turkey, on May 14, intending to reach Gaza and defy the naval blockade.

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How are you?

However, on the afternoon of May 18, Israeli naval forces intercepted their vessel, 'La Sirena,' in international waters near Cyprus. Over the subsequent two days, all boats in the flotilla were boarded, leading to the detention of 428 activists from more than 45 countries. The seven individuals on board 'La Sirena' were taken at gunpoint and transferred to the Nahshon, one of two Israeli military landing crafts repurposed as temporary prisons for the operation.

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Been better, to be honest.

The author describes the processing that followed, which was characterized by a lack of personal items, including passports, and a procedural yet ultimately cruel interrogation about identity details. This initial phase, though tense, was overshadowed by the "deliberate cruelty" that governed the subsequent hours. The experience was marked by physical abuse, including being beaten and forced to the ground, highlighting the harsh treatment faced by the detainees.

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No personal items, no shoes, no passports.

Detainees were held in repurposed shipping containers, enduring limited water resources. The author's narrative emphasizes the stark contrast between the flotilla's mission of solidarity and aid and the reality of their capture and confinement, turning a journey for liberation into an experience of siege. The ordeal lasted over 50 hours, leaving a profound impact on those involved.

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We were part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, a fleet of more than 50 sailboats carrying activists in an act of solidarity and providing symbolic humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza.