Israel counters torture claims with ‘biting’ allegation
Israel has accused a Gaza aid flotilla activist of biting a member of prison staff, claiming it was “the only violent incident” involving those detained. The statement came in response to allegations of mistreatment during the activists’ detention.
Members of the Global Sumud Flotilla, including climate activist Greta Thunberg, were attempting to breach the blockade of Gaza by sea, where the United Nations says famine has taken hold after two years of devastating conflict.
The flotilla was stopped by the Israeli Navy on Friday. According to fellow activists, those detained were “tortured” and subjected to “harsh treatment” in an Israeli prison. Israeli officials later rejected the accusations.
“All the legal rights of the participants in this PR stunt were and will continue to be fully upheld. The lies they are spreading are part of their pre-planned fake news campaign,” the Israeli Foreign Ministry wrote in a Facebook post on Monday.
“The only violent incident came from a Hamas–Sumud provocateur who bit a female medical staff member at Ketsiyot Prison,” it added.
The flotilla activists have not yet responded to the biting allegations.
Thunberg was among more than 170 activists deported to Greece and Slovakia on Monday. The group comprised citizens from 19 countries, including the US, UK, Germany, and France.
