Australian flotilla activists released from Israeli prison allege abuse
11 Australians detained in Israel after their Gaza-bound flotilla was seized were released; The two alleged that Israel mistreated and harassed other activists after their capture in international waters on Monday.
“We have just arrived, it is chaos here, we must try to get through security to return with our comrades,” NSW Northern Rivers documentary maker Juliet Lamont said outside Istanbul Airport on Thursday (night AEST).
Lamont, whose 25-year-old daughter Isla Lamont is also detained at Ketziot Prison, claimed that “many of his comrades on the prison boat had broken bones” while others were sexually assaulted.
Newcastle climate activist Zack Schofield told the media the detainees were “really mistreated” and denied water for two days. Many of them had not eaten for days, he said.
Schofield is one of 87 flotilla participants who have vowed to go on hunger strike if imprisoned. It is not yet known whether all prisoners were deprived of food or whether some refused to eat because they were on strike.
“I have friends who were shocked and beaten with stun guns and stun guns for a long time as soon as they entered prison, but this is nothing compared to what happens to Palestinians every day in the occupied territories,” he claimed.
Schofield also claimed that the Israel Defense Forces took an “Arab-looking man” to a container and tortured him for “a minute”.
“We heard their screams, just to arouse our reaction. Then they shocked some of us.” [with tasers] “When we express our disagreement,” he claimed.
None of the imprisoned Australians said they had been directly harmed by Israeli forces. This imprint has contacted the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment.
Zivan Freidin, a spokesman for the Israeli Prison Service, told The Associated Press that the allegations were “false and completely without factual basis.”
On Thursday evening, Israel’s ambassador to Australia told the ABC the flotilla was being treated with “great sensitivity”.
“No one was injured, the response went very smoothly,” Hillel Newman said. 7.30 program. He “completely denied” any allegations of sexual humiliation, said “allegations of violence are not true” and “many of the accusations made are untrue”.
Newman, three months into the job, appeared before the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on Thursday afternoon at the behest of Foreign Minister Penny Wong.
The government sought to “intensify” its displeasure with a video released by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on Thursday morning, in which he was shown mocking flotilla activists.
“We condemn his actions and the degrading actions of Israeli authorities towards those detained,” Wong said in a statement on Thursday, calling the video “shocking and unacceptable.”
“Australia’s Ambassador to Israel made representations to Israel and reiterated our call for the release of detained Australians and for Israel to not ill-treat detainees and to act in accordance with international obligations. I have also instructed DFAT to summon Israel’s Ambassador to Australia to reinforce this message.”
One portion of the video depicted Irish activist Catriona Graham being zip-tied and being held to the ground by multiple guards after she shouted “Free Palestine.”
This triggered a global outcry and prompted Ben-Gvir to issue a rare rebuke from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for being “not in line with Israeli values and norms.”
On Thursday evening, Newman repeatedly assured host Sarah Ferguson that Ben-Gvir’s “humiliation process” was “condemned wall to wall” in Israel and “does not reflect Israeli values or the activities generally undertaken.”
On May 18, the IDF began intercepting 50 ships of the Global Sumud Fleet in international waters. Schofield’s ship, Marilyn, was among the first ships stopped about 460 kilometers off the coast of Gaza.
All 428 fleet participants were released. They were initially taken to Ashdod in southern Israel and transferred to Ketziot Prison.
They were transferred to Ramon Airport by bus on Thursday; where DFAT consular officials traveled to gain access to the Australian group before their departure.
On Thursday, Australian authorities pressed Israel for the immediate release of Juliet and Isla Lamont, Schofield, Surya McEwen, Dr Bianca Webb-Pullman, Anny Mokotow, Neve Barwick O’Connor, Sam Woripa Watson, Violet Coco, Helen O’Sullivan and Gemma O’Toole.
The mission marked the second time this year that activists from around the world have attempted to break Israel’s 19-year land and sea blockade and bring aid to Gaza.
Australia has committed more than $130 million in humanitarian assistance to assist civilians in Gaza and Lebanon since October 2023. Food, water and medical supplies are distributed through partners such as UNICEF and the Red Cross. Approximately 2,600 civilians seeking help in the Gaza Strip lost their lives Killed between May and October 2025.
The blockade has been in effect since Hamas took full control of the Gaza Strip in 2007. The Gaza war started after the attack on Israel led by Hamas in October 2023, in which 1200 people were killed and 251 people were taken hostage.
Since then, Israeli attacks on the region have killed more than 72,000 people, according to Palestinian health officials.
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Bronte Gossling is a reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, WAtoday and Brisbane Times.Connect via email.
Emily Kaine is a national news blogger for The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via email.
