Six Australians who were detained by the Israeli military while attempting to transport humanitarian aid to Gaza have been released in Crete after spending days at sea. The activists were part of a group of over 100 individuals involved in the second Global Sumud Flotilla, which aimed to break Israel's naval blockade of Gaza.
Detention and Release
The group was intercepted off the coast of the Greek island by the Israel Defence Forces on Wednesday. Organisers of the flotilla reported that three Australians—Ethan Floyd, Zack Schofield, and Neve O’Connor—were taken to hospital for treatment of injuries sustained during the incident. They alleged that they were subjected to violence and mistreatment aboard the Israeli vessel.
In a video message from Sitia Hospital in Crete, the trio stated, "We three are all physically OK as you can be after that experience." All 173 international activists were released except for two leaders: Thiago Ávila from Brazil and Saif Abu Keshek from Spain, according to organisers.
Allegations of Mistreatment
Floyd, Schofield, and O’Connor announced they would go on a hunger strike until the health and whereabouts of the remaining detainees were confirmed. Floyd alleged that he witnessed people being shot with rubber pellets, thrown to the ground, and dragged along by their limbs. "We were transferred to another Rigid Inflatable Boat and taken to a very large Israeli warship," he said. "From there we were held again in stress positions for 45 minutes to an hour, made to crawl along the floor before being thrown into an enclosure constructed from shipping containers."
Floyd added that he was eventually "dumped in Greece" without consular assistance. "We were driven for hours through Crete with the promise that embassy officials would be there to meet with us, and when we arrived, there were none," he said.
Israeli Response
Israel's Foreign Affairs Minister Gideon Sa’ar confirmed that the vessels had been intercepted but insisted that participants were unharmed. "All participants in the provocative flotilla who were taken off the vessels were taken off unharmed," he stated on social media platform X.
The vessels were seized in international waters off Greece’s Peloponnese peninsula, hundreds of kilometres from Gaza, according to organisers. Schofield expressed surprise at the operation's scale: "We were surprised that they had gone 600 nautical miles away from Israel, with warships, a prison ship and special operations force there to seize our boats, to kidnap us, to brutalise us and take us on board a prison ship with absolutely no charges being laid on us."
Threats and Conditions
Schofield claimed that during detention, he was forced to sleep outside, and the deck was flooded with seawater to prevent sleep. O’Connor alleged that the group was threatened with being shot if they did not comply. "If we didn’t comply, they said they would open fire," he said.
Other Australian Detainees
The six Australians also include Surya McEwen, Cameron Tribe, and Bianca Webb-Pullman. Organisers have called for the immediate release of the two remaining leaders. The Global Sumud Flotilla stated, "We demand that all governments do all they can to pressure the Israeli regime to release all the illegal abductees."
This incident follows a previous flotilla in October, during which seven Australians were detained by the IDF. Israel controls access to the Gaza Strip and denies withholding supplies for its two million residents. However, Palestinian and international aid bodies claim that supplies to the territory are insufficient despite guarantees of increased aid.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, which has been contacted, has previously urged Australians not to participate in breaches of Israel’s blockade. Meanwhile, Sydneysiders are set to paddle across Sydney Harbour on Sunday to show support for the flotilla.
