The Adalah Centre for Human Rights has called on Israeli authorities to launch an immediate criminal investigation into allegations of rape and sexual assault made by a German journalist who took part in the 2025 Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) humanitarian mission to Gaza . The demand follows detailed testimony from the activist, who alleged she was subjected to abuse by Israeli prison staff while being held at Givon Prison in Ramla, central Israel. The complaint was submitted on behalf of the participant, identified only as A.L., and addressed to Israel's Attorney General, the legal adviser to the Prison Service, the unit responsible for investigating prison guards, and the commander of Givon Prison. It calls for the immediate opening of criminal proceedings. Adalah states the allegations stem from Israel's interception in October 2025 of dozens of vessels carrying more than 500 activists. The ships had departed from ports across Europe and Africa as part of an effort to break the blockade on the Gaza Strip before being stopped by Israeli forces in international waters. The complaint states that during her transfer from the port to Ketziot Prison, the journalist was subjected to physical and verbal abuse by Israeli security personnel and prison service staff. She alleged that she was restrained for extended periods using handcuffs, blindfolded, shouted at, and threatened, including with rape, in addition to being subjected to other forms of physical violence. The journalist said the abuse continued after she arrived at Givon Prison, where female guards allegedly ordered her to remove her clothing while male guards observed from behind a curtain. According to her testimony, when she refused to undress, prison staff forcibly removed her clothes and compelled her to kneel while naked. "When she refused, the guards forcibly removed her clothing. While she stood fully naked, a female guard inserted her fingers into the journalist's genitals and then her anus," the complaint states.
The journalist further testified that she could hear male guards laughing during the alleged assault. "The severity of the acts described and their unlawfulness are clear and leave no room for doubt. These constitute acts of rape, sexual violence, and serious assault, which require the immediate opening of a criminal investigation against all those involved and their prosecution," Adalah stated. The organisation said other women who participated in the flotilla had contacted the German journalist after she publicly shared her testimony and reported experiencing similar treatment, including incidents that they said amounted to sexual assault. "These events raise serious concern that serious sexual assaults against female detainees by Israeli forces are a systematic pattern that has not been investigated at all," the centre said. Adalah argued that the case forms part of a broader pattern of alleged abuse, noting that it has received additional testimonies in recent weeks from flotilla activists who departed from Turkey in May, before being intercepted by Israeli forces. According to the organisation, those testimonies include allegations of sexual violence, physical abuse, humiliation and mistreatment during detention. Adalah further stated that the lack of accountability has contributed to an environment in which such abuses can escalate. "The responsibility of the authorities today does not end with achieving justice for the victim in the current case but also requires examining the conditions and policies that allowed such grave acts to occur within an official detention facility," the legal centre said. The developments come as activists who were detained, allegedly tortured, and later deported by Israel following the latest flotilla mission have submitted an official communication to the International Criminal Court (ICC) , accusing senior Israeli military officials and political leaders of war crimes, crimes against humanity, torture, and conduct linked to genocide.