Rome, MINA – Italian Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Benedetta Scuderi has detailed the harsh treatment she and other activists endured at the hands of Israeli authorities after joining a humanitarian flotilla headed for Gaza, Anadolu Agency reported.
Speaking during a plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Scuderi said she was among around 400 international activists, including four other MEPs, who were detained by Israeli forces after their flotilla, the Global Sumud Flotilla, was intercepted in international waters.
The flotilla, aimed at delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza, was forcibly redirected to the Israeli port of Ashdod. According to Scuderi, the detainees were denied basic human needs such as food, water, sleep, and access to medication, and some reportedly suffered physical assault while in custody.
Scuderi described the flotilla as a peaceful and humanitarian mission to support Gaza’s population, which is suffering under blockade and famine conditions. She condemned European institutions for failing to take action to protect human rights and international law, arguing that activists had stepped in where political leaders had failed.
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She also expressed concern that several participants, including French MEPs Rima Hassan and Emma Fourreau, had not yet returned, while another flotilla—carrying more European activists including French MEP Melissa Camara—was still en route to Gaza.
Scuderi called on the European Union to uphold its role as a global advocate for democracy and human rights by supporting the mission’s objectives.
Her political group, the Greens, proposed adding the issue of Israel’s actions and the detention of flotilla participants to the official agenda of the European Parliament, but the motion was rejected. []
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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