Noa Avishag Schnall, a US born photojournalist, accused Israeli prison guards of “extreme brutality,” including beatings and rape threats, following her arrest aboard a Gaza-bound aid flotilla.
Schnall, who had been reporting for independent outlet Drop Site News, was aboard the vessel Conscience as part of the Global Sumud Flotilla when it was intercepted by Israeli forces early last Wednesday morning.
In a video statement shared online, she described being violently detained in international waters, strip-searched multiple times, and subjected to what she calls “inhumane treatment.”
“Our boat was attacked around 5 a.m.,” Schnall said in the video, where she appeared with visible bruising and a black eye. “The brutality began immediately.”
What was her statement?
Schnall claims that all 150 activists aboard the flotilla, including herself, were subjected to degrading treatment after their arrest, which she says violated international law. According to her statement, prisoners were handcuffed, blindfolded, and forced into stress positions with zip-ties digging into their arms.
“At least one woman has reported being physically penetrated by guards who laughed at her pain,” she alleged. “Others, including myself, endured threats of rape, beatings, and suffocation.”
Schnall also described the systematic looting of passengers’ belongings during searches, along with repeated denials of basic rights like water and medical care.
Deported activists, many of whom arrived in Istanbul this past weekend shared similar instances. “They put us on our knees, facing down. And if we moved, they hit us,” said Paolo Romano, an Italian regional councillor. “They were laughing at us, insulting us, and hitting us.”
The flotilla aimed to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, which remains under a crippling blockade amid ongoing conflict. The Israeli government has not yet formally responded to the allegations made by Schnall or other activists.