Israel court extends Gaza flotilla activists' detention by six days

An Israeli court on Tuesday extended the detention of two foreign activists taken from a Gaza-bound flotilla by six days, a lawyer representing them said.

Spanish national Saif Abu Keshek and Brazilian Thiago Avila appeared before a court in the southern city of Ashkelon for their second hearing, after being brought to Israel for questioning last week.

The extension is to allow police more time to interrogate them, the pair's lawyer said.

The two, held in a prison in Ashkelon, were among dozens of activists aboard a Gaza-bound flotilla intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters off the coast of Greece early on Thursday.

The other detained activists were taken to the Greek island of Crete and released.

Representatives for Avila and Abu Keshek have accused Israeli authorities of abusing the two men, who have been on hunger strike for the past six days.

The flotilla's vessels had set sail from France, Spain and Italy with the aim of breaking Israel's blockade of Gaza and delivering humanitarian aid to the war-ravaged Palestinian territory.

At a previous hearing on Sunday, the court extended their detention by two days.

During Tuesday's hearing, both men appeared in the courtroom with their legs shackled, an AFP journalist reported.

"The court granted a second extension... a six-day extension, which means the next hearing will be on Sunday," said Hadeel Abu Salih, a lawyer with Israeli rights group Adalah, which represents the activists.

"The court gave the police what they asked for and gave them the green light to continue with this illegal measure."

- Abuse claims -

Abu Salih said the extension was granted after police requested more time to interrogate the pair.

"We see this as an attempt to criminalise any solidarity with the Palestinian people and any attempt to break the illegal siege on Gaza," she said.

"We have been told by Thiago and Saif that they (Israeli police) are trying all the time to connect the humanitarian aid with Hamas to present it as a service to Hamas."

Adalah told AFP it had appealed Tuesday's court decision at the Beersheba district court, with a hearing scheduled for Wednesday.

Spain has reiterated its call for the "immediate release" of Abu Keshek, a Spanish national of Palestinian origin, and demanded "that all his rights be respected", foreign ministry sources in Madrid said.

Avila's wife said her husband remained in custody based on mere suspicions.

"The judge relied on 'confidential information' to justify the continuation of these interrogations, yet neither he nor his lawyer has been granted access to the substance of that material," Lara Souza told AFP.

"This constitutes a clear violation of the right to a defence."

Abu Salih also said presenting the pair before a civilian court was a "way of spreading fear and making activists reconsider their participation" in future flotillas.

In a separate statement, Adalah alleged that the two men faced ongoing abuse in detention.

They were being held in "total isolation, subjected to 24/7 high-intensity lighting in their cells and kept blindfolded whenever they were moved, including during medical examinations", Adalah said.

- No formal charges -

Israeli authorities have rejected the allegations.

According to Adalah, the authorities have accused the pair of several offences, including "assisting the enemy during wartime" and "membership in and providing services to a terrorist organisation".

No formal charges have so far been filed against them.

Adalah's lawyers have challenged the state's jurisdiction, arguing there had been an "unlawful abduction" of the two activists in international waters.

Israel's foreign ministry says both individuals were affiliated with the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad (PCPA), a group accused by Washington of "clandestinely acting on behalf of" Palestinian militant group Hamas.

The ministry said Abu Keshek was a leading PCPA member, and that Avila was also linked to the group and "suspected of illegal activity".

The Global Sumud Flotilla's first voyage last year was also intercepted by Israeli forces off the coasts of Egypt and Gaza.

Israel controls all entry points into Gaza, which has been under an Israeli blockade since 2007.

Throughout the Gaza war that started in October 2023, there have been shortages of critical supplies in the territory, with Israel at times cutting off aid entirely.