‘We have been handled like animals’, deported Gaza flotilla activists say

International activists who arrived in Istanbul after being deported from Israel following the army’s interception of their Gaza-bound flotilla mentioned on Saturday (October 5, 2025) that they had been subjected to violence and “treated like animals”.

The Global Sumud Flotilla set sail final month in search of to ferry support to war-battered Gaza however Israel blocked the boats, detaining greater than 400 folks whom it started deporting on Friday.

Of that quantity, 137 activists from 13 nations flew into Istanbul on Saturday (October 5, 2025), amongst them 36 Turkish nationals.

Also Read | Rallies in opposition to Israel interception of Gaza flotilla sweep Europe

“We were intercepted by a huge number of military vessels,” Paolo Romano, a regional councillor from Lombardy in Italy, informed AFP at Istanbul airport.

“Some boats were also hit by water cannon. All of the boats were taken by very heavily armed people and brought to shore,” the 29-year-old mentioned.

“They put us on our knees, facing down. And if we moved, they hit us. They were laughing at us, insulting us and hitting us,” he mentioned.

“They were using both psychological and physical violence.”

Among these on board the flotilla, which counted some 45 vessels, have been politicians and activists, together with Swedish local weather campaigner Greta Thunberg.

Mr. Romano mentioned they tried to drive them to confess that they had entered Israel illegally. “But we never entered Israel illegally. We were in international waters and it was our right to be there.”

On touchdown, they have been taken to a jail and held there with out being allowed out and weren’t given bottled water, he mentioned. “They were opening the door during the night and shouting at us with guns to scare us,” he mentioned. “We were treated like animals.”

‘Worst expertise’

Iylia Balqis, a 28-year-old activist from Malaysia, mentioned Israel’s interception of the boats was “the worst experience”.

“We were handcuffed (with hands behind our backs), we couldn’t walk, some of us were made to lie face down on the ground, and then we were denied water, and some of us were denied medicine,” she mentioned.

The activists have been flown to Istanbul on a specially-chartered Turkish Airlines airplane.

In a publish on X, the Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed “137 more provocateurs of the Hamas-Sumud flotilla were deported today to Turkey”.

Relatives of the Turkish activists might be seen awaiting their arrival on the VIP lounge inside Istanbul airport, waving Turkish and Palestinian flags and chanting “Israel murderer”.

The Turkish activists have been to endure medical checks on arrival and would seem in court docket on Sunday to present testimony, their legal professionals mentioned.

Turkiye has denounced Israel’s interception of the flotilla as “an act of terrorism”, saying on Thursday it had opened an investigation.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan praised the activists as “brave individuals who gave voice to humanity’s conscience” in a publish on X and mentioned Ankara would guarantee all of its nationals have been introduced again, with out giving an general quantity.

Italian journalist Lorenzo D’Agostino, who was on board the flotilla to cowl its mission, mentioned they “were kidnapped in international waters when we were 55 miles (88 kilometres) from Gaza”.

“It was two hellish days that we spent in prison. We are out now thanks to the pressure of the international public that supports Palestine,” he mentioned.

“I really hope this situation ends soon because it has been barbaric the way we have been treated.” Libyan activist Malik Qutait mentioned he was not afraid and vowed to maintain making an attempt to achieve Gaza.

“I will collect my group, arrange medicine, aid and a ship and I will try again,” he mentioned.