42 activists from ‘Sumud Flotilla’ launch hunger strike in Israeli prisons

Dozens of international activists detained after participating in the Global Steadfastness (Sumud) Flotilla have begun a hunger strike inside Israeli prisons, the group announced Monday.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the flotilla said that “42 volunteers from the Global Sumud Flotilla have begun a mass hunger strike in Israeli prisons,” sharing a photo listing the names of those involved. The group stated that the strike was launched “in solidarity with the Palestinian people.”

Earlier Monday, Israel’s Haaretz newspaper reported — citing minutes of meetings with detainees — that several activists said they had been subjected to mistreatment and torture while in custody.

While the Israeli Foreign Ministry denied the allegations, several released participants described harsh conditions and abuse, including starvation, humiliation, and being forced to drink contaminated or sewage water.

In separate accounts published by Hebrew media, members of the Resilience Flotilla (another group involved in similar solidarity missions) also reported abuses during unlawful detention in Israel. They said they were deprived of water, denied access to lawyers, and in some cases Muslim participants had their headscarves forcibly removed.

The activists were part of a multinational initiative that sought to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza by sea, in defiance of Israel’s blockade.