ISTANBUL, (PIC)
Three Turkish Airlines planes landed at Istanbul International Airport on Thursday carrying 422 activists participating in the Global Sumud Flotilla, following their release by the Israeli authorities and their deportation through Ramon Airport, after being detained following the interception of the flotilla ships in international waters.
The activists, hailing from more than 40 countries, arrived carrying marks of physical violations they described as harsh, which they were subjected to during their detention period at sea and in Israeli detention centers, amidst a wide popular reception and official and judicial Turkish action to prosecute Israeli officials.
The evacuation flights came through direct coordination between the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Turkish Embassy in Tel Aviv, and included the transport of 85 Turkish citizens and 337 activists of different nationalities.
The participants were among dozens of ships and boats that set sail from the Turkish port of Marmaris on May 14, within a maritime movement that began more than five weeks ago from Barcelona, before 69 ships and boats were intercepted in international waters west of Cyprus and hundreds of kilometers away from the coasts of Gaza.
Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Haci Ali Ozel said, at Istanbul Airport, that Israel violated international law again by targeting a global civilian movement that was carrying out a humanitarian and peaceful mission to deliver food, fuel, and medical supplies to the besieged Gaza Strip.
The airport witnessed a wide medical mobilization, with the entry of ambulances and more than ten mobile beds to transport the injured who were unable to move to the Forensic Medicine Institute to conduct the necessary examinations, while they were received by their families, crowds of citizens, and the head of the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Committee, Hasan Turan. The Sumud Flotilla activists, kidnapped in international waters, have been hospitalized after being brutally tortured by Israeli forces. pic.twitter.com/qPBLK0wNs2 — The Resonance (@Partisan_12) May 21, 2026 Testimonies about torture and violations
Al Jazeera and Al Jazeera Mubasher correspondents, Amer Lafi and Ruqayya Celik, conveyed live testimonies of activists who confirmed being subjected to beating, dragging, electric shocks, harassment, and physical assault, with documented injuries appearing on their bodies on the back, legs, and faces.
Irish doctor Margaret Connolly, sister of the President of Ireland Catherine Connolly, said that the Israeli authorities detained about 50 unarmed civilians inside a metal container for three days, in conditions she described as inhumane, without sufficient food or water, or basic hygiene supplies.
Canadian activist Ihab Latif reported that an Israeli soldier stabbed him with a knife in his hand while he was trying to translate and distribute water to the detainees, which caused him to lose sensation in it, pointing out that others suffered rib fractures as a result of bodily assaults.
For his part, Canadian activist Michael France said that the detainees were transported inside metal containers on board warships converted into detention centers, were forced to sleep on the ground, and were subjected to electric shocks, stomping on their bare feet, and beating on the head and face.
Native Maori New Zealander activist Hahona Ormsby also spoke about being kicked, beaten, bound, and constantly threatened.
An activist named Majid recounted that he and another activist were shot with rubber bullets at their feet from close range, and were left for long hours without treatment, while activists confirmed that the detained women were subjected to beating and humiliation inside Israeli prisons. الناشط البرازيلي تياغو أفيلا يقول إن عددا من الناشطين بأسطول الصمود تعرضوا "للاغتصاب" من قبل جنود إسرائيليين #فيديو pic.twitter.com/GPz2LeCe6J — قناة الجزيرة (@AJArabic) May 22, 2026 Turkish judicial action
The violations sparked a wave of international condemnation and summonses for Israel’s ambassadors and representatives in a number of capitals, including Madrid, Ottawa, The Hague, Paris, Rome, Brussels, and London, after the Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir published a video clip in which he appeared following up and encouraging the abuse of the activists.
On the other hand, the Prosecution Office in Istanbul began hearing the statements of the activists in preparation for including them within an international judicial file accusing Israel of committing crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing, deprivation of liberty, and damage to private property.
According to Al Jazeera’s correspondent, the Turkish judiciary issued arrest warrants against more than 30 Israeli officials, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, Army Minister Israel Katz, and the Israeli Chief of Staff, to investigate the case. Terrifying revelation. A Global Sumud Flotilla captain shows his back completely covered in massive bruises from Israeli forces.
He confirms the horrific reality that Arabic and non-white captives were beaten much worse. The Zionist regime's blatant criminality is fully exposed. pic.twitter.com/ZmQ1quFKsd — Furkan Gözükara (@FurkanGozukara) May 21, 2026 Confirmation of continuing the movement to break the siege
Despite the effects of torture and exhaustion, the activists came out of the VIP lounge at Istanbul Airport raising victory signs and chanting slogans supportive of Palestine and Al-Aqsa Mosque in both Arabic and Turkish.
The elderly Turkish man Mahmoud, the oldest participant, stressed the necessity of continuing the activism to break the siege and deliver aid to Gaza, while a participating American academic announced readiness to organize a new and wider maritime coalition within a new freedom flotilla.
The activists concluded their testimonies by stressing that what they were subjected to remains limited compared to what the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are experiencing of war, siege, and continuous genocide. أفرج الاحتلال عن جميع أفراد أسطول الصمود باستنثاء الناشطة زوهار ريغيف.
قصتها تستحق الاهتمام
ولدت لعائلة يهودية في كيبوتس قرب الناصرة قبل 54 عامًا إلا أنها رفضت أن تكون جزءًا من دولة تضطهد الشعب الفلسطيني، فهاجرت إلى إسبانية عام 2004 وعاشت هناك 14 عامًا وشاركت منذ 2008 بأساطيل… pic.twitter.com/G7oJwfmy5Z — yaseenizeddeen (@yaseenizeddeen) May 21, 2026