Arrested, Greta Thunberg and pro-Palestinian group denounce their conditions

The Israeli navy intercepted dozens of boats from the Global Sumud flotilla, carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza. It was made up of 437 people - activists, journalists and political figures - including environmental activist Greta Thunberg.

Paolo Romano claimed that the flotilla members were "treated like animals" during their detention at Ketziot, a high-security prison in the Negev desert. "They opened the door at night and shouted at us with guns to scare us," he added.

Iylia Balais, a Malaysian activist, described the experience as "the worst" she'd ever been through: "We were handcuffed [with our hands behind our backs], we couldn't walk, some of us were forced to lie face down on the ground, then we were denied water and some of us were forced to lie face down on the ground.some of us were forced to lie face down on the floor, we were denied water and some of us were not given medication".

Environmental activist Greta Thunberg told a visiting Swedish official that she had been subjected to "brutal treatment" at Ketziot. An official who visited the activist said she was being held in a "cell infested with bedbugs [...] She was given insufficient food and water", he wrote in a statement. insufficient water and food", he wrote in an e-mail sent by the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs to relatives of Greta Thunberg.

Lorenzo D'Agostino, an Italian journalist and activist, said after being transferred to Istanbul that Greta Thunberg had been "wrapped in an Israeli flag and carried around like a trophy".

"They dragged little Greta by the hair in front of our eyes, beat her and forced her to kiss the Israeli flag. They did unimaginable things to her, as a warning to the others," denounced Ersin Çelik, a Turkish journalist and activist.

The Israeli embassy in Sweden refuted the allegations of mistreatment, calling them "complete lies":

"All detainees in the Hamas -Sumud provocation have had access to water, food and toilets; they have not been denieds access to a lawyer and all their legal rights, including access to medical care, have been fully respected [....] Israel is and will remain a state governed by the rule of law, determined to defend the rights and dignity of all individuals in accordance with international standards".

In addition to the four Italian activists expelled on Friday, the Israeli Ministry confirmed the deportation of 137 other activists to Turkey on Saturday.

"Israel is seeking to accelerate the expulsion of all provocateurs," explains a statement published on X, stating that "some of them are deliberately obstructing the legal expulsion process".

The activists arrested came from 45 different countries. Among those deported on Saturday were citizens of 13 countries, including the USA, Italy, the UK, Switzerland and Jordan.

Turkey announced that 36 of its nationals were due to return home on Saturday. It also denounced Israel's interception of the flotilla as "an act of terrorism" and announced on Thursday that it had opened an investigation.

The Global Sumud Flotilla, which set sail last month, was arrested as it approached the coast of the Gaza Strip. It described itself as "peaceful", its aim being to "break the blockade of Gaza" and provide "humanitarian aid to a besieged population facing famine and genocide".

"All the boats were stormed by heavily armed people and brought ashore [...] They put us on our knees, face down. And if we moved, they hit us. They laughed at us, insulted us and hit us. They used both psychological and physical violence", Paolo Romano, regional councillor for Lombardy in Italy, told AFP as he landed at Istanbul airport.