About 15 Italian activists who took part in a flotilla attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza have returned to Rome after being deported from Israel, where they allege they were subjected to abuse while in detention.
The activists were welcomed by relatives and supporters at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport in the early hours of Friday morning following their return.
One of the activists, Antonella Bundu, described the interception of the flotilla and the conditions they reportedly faced after being detained.
She said Israeli forces stopped the vessel on the second day of the voyage, despite what she claimed was prior awareness of the mission. Bundu also alleged that some activists were tasered and taken onto a detention vessel.
Describing the conditions on board, she said detainees were held in confined spaces and restrained, likening the vessel to a “floating prison ship” with barbed wire and container-style sleeping areas.
The activists were deported following their detention in Israel, amid ongoing international debate over attempts to deliver aid to Gaza by sea.