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NYT: Global Sumud Flotilla Activists Detail Beatings, Electric Shocks and Other Abuse in Israeli Detention

HeadlineAug 10, 2026

A New York Times investigation into how the participants of the Global Sumud Flotilla were treated in Israeli detention details beatings, electric shocks and other abuse. Six activists produced medical records documenting serious harm: fractured ribs, broken vertebrae, a shattered tailbone, a gunshot wound and a collapsed lung. Four said Israeli forces shot them with rubber bullets or beanbag rounds while they were detained on a ship. Three reported being shocked with Tasers while beaten inside shipping containers. Back in May, Israel apprehended more than 400 activists on the Global Sumud Flotilla at gunpoint on the Mediterranean as they attempted to break the Israeli blockade on Gaza.

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