Archiv: sailors / mariners / Matrosen / Seeleute


27.05.2026 - 18:23 [ Common Dreams ]

Global Sumud Flotilla Urges Probe of US Complicity in Members’ Abduction and Torture by Israel

That vessel, the amphibious landing ship INS Nahshon, was built by Bollinger Mississippi Shipbuilding in Louisiana and was fully financed by the US government. GSF activists first became aware of what they now call the “torture boat” when it was used to detain members of the previous Gaza-bound flotilla, dozens of whom required medical attention for broken ribs, noses, and other injuries inflicted by Israeli forces.

This time, according to GSF, “detained humanitarians, doctors, and journalists were processed one by one through a darkened shipping container. Inside, groups of three to five soldiers systematically brutalized each person who came through the door while those waiting outside listened to the screams.”

25.05.2026 - 12:10 [ Global Sumud Flotilla ]

Global Sumud Flotilla Releases Horrific, Newly Emerging Testimonies as Survivors Return Home

May 24, 2026 INTERNATIONAL – As civilian participants from the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) begin landing in their respective home countries and some continue their recovery in Istanbul, the full, devastating scale of the violence executed by the israeli Occupation Forces (iOF) is being laid bare. Following the most recent unlawful interception of the flotilla in international waters on 18 May, newly emerging and harrowing testimonies confirm a coordinated campaign of systematic torture, severe physical and psychological trauma, and targeted gender-based and sexual violence.

(The violence reported in this release covers only the second of two illegal israeli interceptions that took place during the Spring 2026 flotilla mission; the first attack took place on 29 April off the coast of Crete, which also had numerous reports of sexual violence, rape and physical injuries including 35 people requiring medical care for broken noses, ribs and injuries from rubber bullets deployed by it iOF.)

25.05.2026 - 12:00 [ Global Sumud Flotilla ]

Global Sumud Flotilla Volunteers Recount Abuse on ‘Torture Boat’

(May 22, 2026)

In what is believed to be the US-built-and-funded INS Nahshon, detainees were “processed” one by one, and taken into darkened containers where groups of iOF commandos brutalised them one by one. Yassine Benjelloun, who had sailed on a previous flotilla mission and expected comparable treatment, described the moment of entry:

„He throws me in a container that is dark, and all of a sudden, I hear, “Welcome to israel. ” And I start getting hit, like first hit on the head, second hit in the ribs, then I fall, then they kick me. And I‘m hearing people screaming, and all of a sudden people stop screaming, and I don‘t see anything, and I don‘t know what‘s going to happen. “ — Yassine Benjelloun

Adrien Berthel, France, described being singled out for targeted humiliation and beating after iOF soldiers noticed he was wearing nail polish and made assumptions about his sexuality.

Veronica Otero, participant number 22 to board, witnessed the processing of nearly all 180 detainees across three days:

„I can say that all were in many ways abused, not one single person walking with nothing. Among them there were 36 fractures, many broken ribs, torso, shoulders, and back. People were in agony. People were not breathing [due to the broken ribs]. „— Veronica Otero

At least 12 sexual assaults have been documented on that vessel alone, including anal rape and forcible penetration by a handgun. iOF soldiers tased volunteers in the face, neck and body, the strikes multiplying with each new group brought in. Multiple volunteers report being photographed during strip searches and guards laughing throughout.

22.05.2026 - 13:50 [ Ounka / X ]

A Global Sumud Flotilla participant just testified from the depths of an Israeli detention center

„I was illegally kidnapped by Israel – like 425 other people.“

„Handcuffs on my hands and feet. Dragged me. When I couldn‘t walk, they dragged me on the ground.“

„They hit us. Hurt all of us a lot. Handcuffs so tight my hands lost feeling.“

„They laughed all the time. Super sadistic.“

„Took off my shirt. Took pictures. Mistreated us all night long.“

Then she delivered her message to the world:

„Shame on you. Shame on all of you. Shame on every government that keeps trading with Israel. My government is complicit. Europe is complicit. The whole world is complicit.“

22.05.2026 - 13:47 [ Thiago Ávila / X ]

Warning: distressful content!

Those genocidal maniacs RAPED humanitarian activist trying to take food and medicine to children in Gaza! And the worst is that even this they escalate to much worse forms with the 9000 Palestinians in israeli dungeons (almost 400 children)!

22.05.2026 - 13:36 [ PalMedia / X ]

Global Sumud Flotilla activist Juliet Lamont describes severe abuse by Israel: “I was tied with cables, water tortured, and sexually assaulted. People had broken ribs, were tased in the face, and injected with unknown sedatives.”

(…)

22.05.2026 - 13:15 [ Furkan Gözükara / Youtube ]

Terrifying revelation. A Global Sumud Flotilla captain shows his back completely covered in massive bruises from Israeli forces.

He confirms the horrific reality that Arabic and non-white captives were beaten much worse.

22.05.2026 - 13:06 [ The Resonance / X ]

The Sumud Flotilla activists, kidnapped in international waters, have been hospitalized after being brutally tortured by Israeli forces.

(…)

22.05.2026 - 13:06 [ NBC News / Youtube ]

Deported Gaza flotilla activists allege abuse while detained in Israel

(…)

22.05.2026 - 12:56 [ BBC ]

‚I could not stay silent‘, says activist who shouted at Ben-Gvir

Catriona Graham was one of hundreds of activists who were detained by Israel this week while trying to deliver aid to Palestinians in Gaza by boat.

Israel‘s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir later posted a video showing himself taunting the activists as they kneeled with their hands tied behind their backs.

22.05.2026 - 02:04 [ Freedom Flotilla Coalition ]

Freedom Flotilla Coalition Confirms Release and Deportation of International Volunteers

[May 21, 2026] The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) confirms that international volunteers abducted by Israeli forces during the unlawful interception of civilian vessels in international waters have now been released and deported. Two Korean nationals were deported to South Korea, one participant was deported to Egypt, two to Jordan, one Israeli citizen was released inside the country, and the remaining 422 participants were transferred to Istanbul aboard three Turkish Airlines flights arranged by the Turkish government.

While we are relieved that participants are no longer in Israeli custody, we reject any attempt to portray the abuse and degrading treatment witnessed by the world over recent days as isolated misconduct or the actions of extremist officials. The brutality broadcast across social media — including deliberate humiliation, threats, physical violence, degrading treatment, and openly dehumanizing rhetoric directed at unarmed civilians — is not an aberration. It is a manifestation of the same system of settler-colonial violence and impunity that Palestinians have endured for decades while being denied their most basic human rights.

21.05.2026 - 07:18 [ Washington Post ]

Israeli minister draws global rebuke over treatment of flotilla activists

Six countries with citizens among the participants — Italy, France, Canada, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Spain — summoned their respective Israeli ambassadors following the video. Others, including Britain, Germany, Ireland and Portugal, offered condemnation of how the activists were treated.

21.05.2026 - 05:43 [ Wafa.ps ]

European countries: Israel’s assault on Global Sumud Flotilla activists „horrific, shocking and appalling”

Several European countries on Wednesday condemned Israel’s assault on activists aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla, following the interception of the vessel in international waters and the detention of its participants, describing their treatment as horrific, shocking and appalling.

The condemnations came after Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir published a video showing dozens of activists kneeling with their hands tied inside the port of Ashdod.

21.05.2026 - 05:22 [ Times Now World / Youtube ]

Israeli Minister Ben-Gvir Under Fire After Clash With Flotilla Activist | Times Now World

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir sparked outrage after confronting detained flotilla activists at Ashdod Port following Israel’s interception of Gaza-bound vessels. Viral footage showed heated exchanges between Ben-Gvir and pro-Palestine protesters, triggering political backlash and fresh diplomatic tensions.

21.05.2026 - 05:19 [ CNN / Youtube ]

Israeli Security Minister Ben Gvir mocks Gaza flotilla activists in detention center

International outcry was sparked after video showed Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir taunting flotilla activists at the Port of Ashdod who were detained in international waters after attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.

20.05.2026 - 06:35 [ Global Sumud Flotilla ]

They Tried to Demonize the Flotilla. They Exposed Their Own Crimes to the Entire World Instead.

(May 19, 2026)

The 428 abducted flotilla participants are currently unaccounted for. They have had no contact with legal counsel. They have been denied consular access. Their families have not been informed of their whereabouts.

We call on their governments and world leaders to demand their immediate and unconditional release and to ensure their right to consular and legal access without further delay.

Their detention is an extension of the same system that has kept nearly 10,000 Palestinian political prisoners and hostages held under an even more brutal architecture of confinement, coercion, and colonial violence. What has already been documented is not aberration. It is a pattern. Testimonies from flotilla participants released after the previous interception earlier this month, describe torture, physical assault, and sexual violence.

Independent rights organizations, including Save the Children, have documented that more than half of the Palestinian children detained by israel report sexual abuse, sexualized violence, and systematic torture. This pattern of sexual violence is systematically operating without interruption.

Gaza and the West Bank are where that structure is most illustrative. They are where weapons are tested, surveillance systems refined, and techniques of enclosure normalized before being exported into policing regimes, border infrastructures, prison systems, and governance models across the world.

20.05.2026 - 06:26 [ Freedom Flotilla Coalition ]

Israel Illegally Attacked and Boarded FFC Boats in International Waters

The largest civilian flotilla in the history of support for Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank was illegally attacked and boarded by Israeli navy forces, beginning at 10:30am Türkiye time, Monday, May 18, 2026.

Multiple large Israeli warships disgorged a large number of zodiac boats filled with combat laden Israeli Offensive Forces.

At this point, nine hours into the illegal attack, the combat Israeli military personnel forcefully boarded 27 of the ships in the flotilla organized by Global Sumud Flotilla, Freedom Flotilla Coalition and Mavi Marmara Freedom and Solidarity Association.

04.05.2026 - 09:15 [ Daily Pakistan ]

US Transfers Iranian vessel ‘M/V Touska’ Crew to Pakistan as ‘Project Freedom’ sparks New Tensions

The ship, M/V Touska, connected to the sanctioned Iran Shipping Lines, was intercepted by US forces on April 19 near Iran’s Chabahar port in the Gulf of Oman. According to US Central Command, the flagged vessel ignored repeated warnings for nearly six hours before American forces boarded and took control, accusing it of violating a US-imposed naval blockade on Iranian ports.

US officials confirmed that 22 crew members have now been handed over to Pakistan for repatriation, while six others—identified by Iranian state media as family members, were quietly transferred to another country days earlier. The vessel itself is in the process of being returned to its original owners.

01.05.2026 - 14:37 [ Global Sumud Flotilla ]

israel Detains Flotilla Participants In International Waters– Exporting Its Tactics of Engineered Destruction

April 30, 2026 – Mediterranean Sea – Last night, the world witnessed israel exporting its military’s doctrine of engineered abandonment as israeli naval forces intercepted, boarded, and systematically disabled and destroyed various boats of the Global Sumud Flotilla. In a violent raid in international waters.

Over 180 civilians from around the world have been directly attacked. After detaining participants, smashing an engine and jamming communications, the IOF retreated, kidnapping participants or intentionally leaving civilians stranded on powerless, broken vessels directly in the path of a massive approaching storm.

The logic deployed by israel last night is a snapshot into the relentless years-long campaign of starvation and slaughter of Palestinians: they actively carry out the massacres and war crimes with impunity, or sabotage the means of survival, leaving it to „nature“ or „circumstance“ to finish the job. The world cannot watch as israel continues its genocide of Palestinians and violates countless international laws with impunity.

23.04.2026 - 03:34 [ CBS News ]

Latest on Middle East as Iran attacks at least 3 ships in Strait of Hormuz amid ceasefire

Iran launched attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday while calling the U.S. military‘s blockade of Iranian ports a breach of the ongoing ceasefire. CBS News‘ Natalie Brand and Charlie D‘Agata have more.

23.04.2026 - 03:28 [ Washington Post ]

Iran says it seized 2 ships in Strait of Hormuz, hours after Trump’s ceasefire extension

Iranian forces seized two container ships in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, according to Iranian state media, just hours after President Donald Trump initially calmed fears of renewed violence by extending his ceasefire with Iran indefinitely.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy said it seized the MSC-Francesca and the Epaminondas and moved them to the Iranian coastline, according to a statement published on state media.

23.04.2026 - 02:59 [ Ana.ir ]

Iran Urges UN to Secure Release of Seized Touska Vessel and Crew

The Iranian envoy, acting on instructions from Tehran, described the operation as a “blatant violation” of legal norms, including the prohibition of aggression, and argued that it displayed characteristics akin to piracy.

He further stated that the incident violated a ceasefire agreement reached on April 8 and amounted to an act of aggression as defined under UN General Assembly Resolution 3314 (1974), warning that it poses a risk to both regional and global stability.

Tehran strongly condemned the U.S. action, calling on the UN Security Council and the secretary-general to adopt a firm and immediate position, explicitly denounce the incident, ensure accountability, and compel Washington to release the vessel, its crew, and all affected individuals without conditions.

Iravani also requested that the letter be formally recorded and circulated as an official document of the UN Security Council.

12.04.2026 - 15:23 [ PressTV.ir ]

Press TV Exclusive: US destroyers‘ Strait of Hormuz transit stunt failed, came close to destruction

Press TV‘s investigation found the American attempt to be an extremely high-risk move that could have easily turned into a disaster for the United States and its military.

The destroyers were only a few minutes away from complete destruction after Iranian cruise missiles locked onto the vessel and attack drones were deployed.

When the two destroyers and the accompanying fleet reached the mouth of the Persian Gulf, Iran‘s cruise missiles locked onto them, and the destroyers were given only 30-minutes to turn back. The vessels immediately retreated.

They had attempted to use electronic warfare tactics, including turning off its position reporting system, in a bid to deceive the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) naval forces.

31.03.2026 - 13:09 [ Reuters ]

Iran sets giant oil tanker ablaze off Dubai after Trump warnings

Tehran attacked and set ablaze a fully loaded crude oil tanker off Dubai on Tuesday, despite a threat by President Donald Trump ​that the U.S. will obliterate Iran‘s energy plants if it does not agree to a peace deal and open the Strait of Hormuz.

Authorities in Dubai said the fire on the Kuwait-flagged Al-Salmi had ‌been brought under control following a drone attack, with no oil leak and no injuries to the crew.

28.03.2026 - 13:15 [ ThaiPBS.or.th ]

Two Thai ships cleared through Hormuz; fate of 3 crew remains unknown

Iranian and Omani teams have reached the Thai-flagged vessel Mayuree Naree, hit by an Iranian projectile earlier this month near the Strait of Hormuz, Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow said yesterday.

Further information is being verified, and it is hoped that three missing crew are safe, he added.

Meanwhile, Iran has agreed to Thailand’s request to allow two Thai vessels, one belonging to Bangchak and another to SCG Chemicals, to transit the strait.

18.03.2026 - 16:27 [ Reuters / X ]

Funeral procession for Iranian security chief Ali Larijani

(video)

18.03.2026 - 16:26 [ PressTV.ir ]

Iranians bid farewell to Dena sailors, martyrs Larijani and Soleimani

Hundreds of thousands of mourners gathered in Tehran to participate in the funeral procession honoring the martyrdom of Iranian sailors and top officials, Ali Larijani and General Gholamreza Soleimani, assassinated during unprovoked US-Israeli aggression against the Islamic Republic.