Israel Detains Saif Abu Keshek and Thiago De Avila After Intercepting Global Sumud Flotilla

Israel detained two activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla after intercepting the aid convoy in international waters, and kept them in Israeli custody while nearly all other seized activists were transferred to Greece.

“Toggle Play Flotilla activists return to Istanbul after Israel detains them at sea Global Sumud Flotilla activists have arrived in Istanbul after Israeli forces intercepted their Gaza-bound aid convoy at sea, with organisers saying they were mistreated in detention”

Al Jazeera

Anadolu Ajansı reported that Saif Abu Keshek and Thiago de Avila were “taken to Israel for questioning,” setting them apart from “the roughly 175 activists seized at sea.”

Al Jazeera

The same Anadolu Ajansı profile said the flotilla was intercepted by Israeli naval forces near the Greek island of Crete and that the pair was taken to the Israeli port of Ashdod.

Anadolu Ajansı also quoted an Israeli legal group, Adalah, describing the move as “the abduction of foreign civilians in international waters.”

The Jerusalem Post described the Global Sumud Flotilla’s claim that Keshek “was on ‘an observer boat which was never intended to go to Gaza,’” and said he was “harshly beaten before being removed and isolated from the rest of the participants.”

France 24 similarly reported that Israel brought two activists in for questioning after intercepting the aid operation in international waters off Greece, with the flotilla described as “more than 50 vessels.”

Across the accounts, the key common thread is that the two men were singled out for questioning in Israel after the interception, while other participants were handled differently.

Spain’s government and its foreign minister framed the detention as unlawful and pressed for immediate release, while Israeli officials said the men were being questioned over alleged links.

Palestine Chronicle reported that Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares told Rac1 radio, “We are facing an illegal detention in international waters, outside any jurisdiction of the Israeli authorities,” and demanded that Abu Keshek “must be released immediately so that he can return to Spain.”

Anadolu Ajansı

France 24 quoted Albares saying, “This is an illegal detention in international waters, outside any jurisdiction of the Israeli authorities, meaning Saif Abu Keshek must be released immediately so he can return to Spain,” and added, “This episode further strains our relationship... because this situation is unacceptable, a state should not behave in this manner.”

Euronews reported that Albares was “unequivocal” in an interview with 'Catalunya Ràdio' and called it “an illegal detention carried out in international waters, outside any jurisdiction of the Israeli authorities.”

News4JAX described how Spain’s foreign minister called for “the immediate release of an activist detained by Israel” and quoted Albares saying, “This is a case of illegal detention in international waters, outside the jurisdiction of Israeli authorities.”

In parallel, Israeli statements and media accounts emphasized questioning and alleged organizational ties.

France 24 said Israel’s foreign ministry identified the pair as Saif Abu Keshek and Thiago Avila and said they were taken to Israel “for questioning by law enforcement authorities,” while also stating they were affiliated with the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad (PCPA).

Euronews added that Israel accused both men of maintaining ties with Hamas through PCPA, naming Abu Keshek as one of the “leaders” of that structure and describing Ávila as working for the group in activities Israel considers illegal.

The dispute therefore centers on whether the transfer into Israeli territory was lawful, with Spain insisting the men “should be in Crete with the others” and Israel insisting on questioning in Israel.

Multiple outlets reported that the two detained activists described mistreatment and that legal groups and organizers alleged torture, beatings, and isolation.

“Israel has confirmed that Spanish activist Saif Abu Keshek and Brazilian Thiago Ávila, detained during the raid on the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters, are now in Israeli territory awaiting questioning”

Euronews

Euronews said the flotilla alleged systematic torture and quoted the organization’s statement that “Eyewitnesses have testified to the screams of Abu Keshek echoing throughout the ship as he was systematically tortured after being separated from the others,” describing the episode as “a serious escalation” and “an additional war crime.”

News4JAX said a legal aid group reported that both men had launched a hunger strike after allegedly being repeatedly beaten while in custody, and it quoted Adalah saying “the treatment of the two activists, including the use of isolation, prolonged blindfolding and physical beatings, constitutes a grave violation of international law.”

France 24 reported that organizers accused Israel of “kidnapping” 211 people and added that activists published photos on X showing two activists with bruises, while one participant said Israeli forces had “beaten” them “several times.”

France 24 also quoted Adalah’s account that Avila told lawyers he was “subjected to extreme brutality” and that he was “dragged face-down across the floor and beaten so severely that he passed out twice,” and that he was “kept in isolation and blindfolded.”

Euronews similarly reported that Abu Keshek was “hand-tied and blindfolded ... and forced to lie face-down on the floor from the moment of his seizure” until reaching Israel, according to Adalah.

Anadolu Ajansı’s profile said an Israeli legal group described the transfer as “the abduction of foreign civilians in international waters,” while the Jerusalem Post’s flotilla statement claimed Keshek was “harshly beaten before being removed and isolated from the rest of the participants.”

Across these accounts, the mistreatment allegations are paired with hunger strike claims and with the assertion that the two men were separated from other detainees on the Israeli naval vessel Nahshon.

The flotilla episode is presented in the sources as part of a recurring pattern of confrontations over Gaza aid and Israel’s blockade, and it is set against the backdrop of the war that began in October 2023.

Anadolu Ajansı described the Global Sumud Flotilla as following “earlier attempts that ended with similar interceptions at sea, detentions and forced returns,” and said the mission was part of recurring efforts by international activists to challenge Israel’s blockade on Gaza.

France 24

The same Anadolu Ajansı profile stated that “In October 2023, Israel launched a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip,” adding that it “has killed more than 72,000 Palestinians” and “destroyed 90% of the enclave’s infrastructure,” with reconstruction costs estimated by the UN at “around $70 billion.”

Anadolu Ajansı also said Israel has imposed a blockade on Gaza since 2007 and that it left “1.5 million Palestinians out of 2.4 million people homeless after their homes were destroyed during the war.”

Anadolu Ajansı’s profile further described Saif Abu Keshek’s long involvement in solidarity efforts, saying he is “a leading organizer and spokesperson for the Global March to Gaza” and that he “heads the Global Coalition Against Occupation in Palestine.”

It also described Thiago de Avila as “38” and said he has dedicated “more than 20 years” to supporting the Palestinian cause, including leadership in the Freedom Flotilla Coalition.

The Jerusalem Post added that Keshek was previously arrested in Egypt and deported in June 2025, and that he faced prior detention for questioning in Tunisia in connection with financial crimes.

France 24 tied the tensions to the Gaza war’s start, saying ties between Israel and Spain have “nosedived since the Gaza war sparked by the October 2023 cross-border attacks by Palestinian group Hamas.”

Taken together, the sources place the detention of Abu Keshek and Ávila within a wider escalation narrative that includes repeated flotilla interceptions and the broader war and blockade described in the Anadolu Ajansı profile.

The sources describe immediate diplomatic and legal steps, along with continuing uncertainty about the activists’ health and the broader international response to the flotilla raid.

“Current section The governments added that the detention "amounts to a criminal offense”

Haaretz

Euronews reported that “Both will receive consular visits from their respective countries,” specifying that “in the case of the Spaniard, it will be the Spanish consul in Tel Aviv,” while “Brazilian activist Ávila will be assisted by diplomats from his own country.”

Haaretz

News4JAX said Adalah visited the two men at a detention site in the Israeli port city of Ashkelon and described the hunger strike and alleged beatings, while also stating that “Abukeshek’s detention has further strained relations between Israel and Spain.”

France 24 reported that “Spain slammed the detention of one of its nationals as ‘illegal’” and said the flotilla’s organizers accused Israel of “kidnapping” 211 people, while Israel said it removed “some 175 activists—two of whom were taken to Israel for questioning.”

Anadolu Ajansı said the pair was taken to Israel for questioning and that Israeli media claimed suspicions ranging from links to a “terrorist organization” to involvement in “illegal activities,” without providing evidence.

Palestine Chronicle reported that Spain summoned the head of the Israeli embassy in Madrid to formally protest the interception operation and that Madrid later joined a joint declaration with countries including Turkiye, Brazil, Colombia, and South Africa condemning the flotilla raid as a violation of international law.

Euronews added that Albares acknowledged he could not confirm torture because there had not yet been direct contact with Abu Keshek, while also confirming that “several activists needed medical attention in Crete.”

In the background, Anadolu Ajansı said the two activists were among passengers aboard more than 20 vessels carrying humanitarian aid as part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, and that while most activists were transferred to Greek authorities and released, the pair remained the exception.

Together, the sources portray a situation where consular access, medical attention, and diplomatic pressure are immediate next steps, while the legal and political dispute over the interception and transfer continues.