Spain demands Israel release flotilla detainee Saif Abukeshek
Updated
Updated · Al Jazeera English · May 2
Spain demands Israel release flotilla detainee Saif Abukeshek
11 articles · Updated · Al Jazeera English · May 2
Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said the Spanish-Swedish activist was seized off Crete, taken to Israel with Brazilian Thiago Avila, and should be freed immediately.
Adalah said both men alleged beatings, stress positions and blindfolding aboard an Israeli vessel, and had begun a hunger strike before a court hearing on Sunday.
Israel says Abukeshek has Hamas links but Spain says no evidence was provided; 175 other activists from 22 aid boats were taken to Greece, prompting wider protests and condemnation.
What evidence, if any, has Israel provided to substantiate claims that activists like Saif Abukeshek have ties to Hamas?
With mounting reports of torture and abuse, what independent mechanisms exist to investigate detainee treatment in Israeli prisons?
How might the international outcry over the Global Sumud Flotilla impact future attempts to challenge the Gaza blockade?
Detention of Two Activists and Spain’s Diplomatic Response Amid 2026 Global Sumud Flotilla Interception
Overview
In late April 2026, Israeli forces intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla near Crete, detaining activists Saif Abukeshek and Thiago Ávila, who began hunger strikes protesting their detention. Israel justifies the interception by alleging Hamas links to the flotilla based on documents seized in 2025, claims the activists and organizers deny, insisting on a purely humanitarian mission to break Gaza's blockade. Spain and Brazil condemned Israel's actions as violations of international law, prompting Spain to withdraw its ambassador and impose an arms embargo. The blockade, ongoing since 2007, has caused a severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza, fueling international solidarity and diplomatic tensions that continue to escalate.