Italian lawmaker recounts abuse by Israel after Gaza flotilla raid

Italian European Parliamentarian Benedetta Scuderi said Monday that she and hundreds of others were detained and mistreated by Israeli forces after taking part in the Global Sumud Flotilla, which set sail to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Speaking at the European Parliament's plenary session in Strasbourg, Scuderi recounted that she and four other Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) were among some 400 activists on board ships that were attacked by Israel in international waters and who were forcibly taken to the port of Ashdod.

She said the group was held in detention, where they were deprived of basic needs such as food, water, sleep and access to medication, and in some cases subjected to physical assault.

The Italian lawmaker described the flotilla's mission as a peaceful and humanitarian effort to assist Gaza's population suffering under a blockade and famine conditions.

She criticized European institutions and governments for failing to act in defense of international law and human dignity, saying the flotilla participants had merely done what political leaders had not.

Scuderi noted that several participants, including French MEPs Rima Hassan and Emma Fourreau, had not yet returned, while another flotilla carrying European activists, including French MEP Melissa Camara, was still approaching Gaza.

She urged the European Union to uphold its role as a defender of democracy and human rights by supporting the mission's goals.

Meanwhile, Scuderi's political group, the Greens, proposed adding the issue of Israel's attack on the flotilla and the unlawful detention of its participants to the European Parliament's agenda, but the motion was rejected.