Australian activists who were part of a Gaza aid flotilla intercepted by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have reported brutal treatment, including beatings, sexual assault, and torture. The flotilla, organized by the Global Sumud campaign, was carrying food and aid from Turkey to Gaza when it was stopped earlier this week. Eleven Australians were among the 428 members detained.
Zack Schofield, a climate activist from Newcastle, described watching an Irish woman being beaten by Israeli soldiers after she shouted “free Palestine” at Israel’s national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir. Schofield said her hands and feet were zip-tied, and she was dragged through a processing center before being placed on a prison bus. He alleged that the violence was inconsistent and arbitrary, with guards acting on whim.
Australian film-maker Juliet Lamont reported being sexually assaulted and beaten by Israeli soldiers. She claimed that 180 people on her prison boat were beaten, with at least 40 suffering broken bones, while others were Tasered or sedated. Lamont, who was on a previous flotilla in October 2025, said the violence was far worse this time, describing it as a “relentless and very targeted campaign of violence.”
Schofield alleged that armed guards used stun guns and non-lethal “beanbag rounds” for minor provocations, leaving some bleeding. Detainees were forced to sleep in prison tracksuits on cold, wet floors without blankets or mattresses, with four people per square meter in exposed containers. At Ktzi’ot prison, he said his hands were handcuffed behind his back for hours, and detainees were made to lift their arms to the point of dislocation.
All Australian activists required first aid after detention, with three taken to hospital in Turkey. The Israeli ambassador to Australia, Hillel Newman, denied the allegations, claiming the flotilla members were handled with “great sensitivity” and that no one was harmed. However, flotilla coordinators and activists insist the treatment was severe, with photos showing bruises and torn skin.
Ben-Gvir faced international condemnation after sharing footage of himself verbally abusing kneeling detainees. Schofield said Ben-Gvir avoided eye contact during a prison tour, calling his courage “pretty thin.” Despite the ordeal, Schofield said he would sail to Gaza again, stating that the experience had emboldened activists by witnessing the “brutality of the Israeli state.”
