Israel extends the detention of the two Flotilla activists, who begin a hunger strike

An Israeli court has approved a two-day extension to the detention of the two international activists who were on the Flotilla bound for Gaza and were intercepted in international waters on April 30. According to the legal center for the rights of the Arab minority in Israel, Adalah, which represents the detainees, the decision extends their custody until Tuesday.The affected activists are the Brazilian Thiago Ávila and the Hispano-Palestinian Saif Abukeshek, who were part of a group of over 170 people detained when the Israeli navy intercepted the Flotilla off the coast of Greece. The rest of the activists were released last Friday. After a few days without images, this Sunday the two activists were seen in court dressed in prison uniforms.During the judicial hearing in the coastal city of Ashkelon, the Israeli prosecution had originally requested to extend the detention for four more days, presenting a list of serious accusations, including aiding the enemy in wartime, contact with a foreign agent, membership in a terrorist organization, and transferring assets in its favor.“The prosecution has cited a list of serious security suspicions to justify the extension of detention. However, it is key to highlight that no formal charges have been filed. At this stage, the court has only granted a two-day extension based solely on "reasonable suspicion," and no substantial evidence has been presented to the court,” Hadeel Abu Salih, one of the defense lawyers, explained to ARA. “The State is using these extreme labels to circumvent usual legal safeguards and justify an interrogation process without solid evidence or jurisdiction,” she adds.This lawyer and Lubna Tuma, who is also handling the case, reject the accusations and denounce that the entire process is “deeply flawed and illegal.” According to the defense, Israel has no legal basis to apply these laws to foreign citizens intercepted in international waters and considers it to be retaliation against humanitarian activists. Therefore, they have demanded their immediate and unconditional release.Accusation of links with Hamas

Israel asserts that Abukeshek and Ávila are linked to the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad (PCPA), an entity that, according to the U.S. Treasury Department, allegedly acted covertly on behalf of Hamas. Although it is still too early to determine the evolution of the case, in similar situations Israel can again request an extension using the same legal framework of “reasonable suspicion” while trying to build a case; if it does not obtain solid evidence, the detainees could be released.“These procedures are extraordinary in many ways and it is very difficult to predict their outcome, but within the Israeli legal system it is relatively common for detainees to remain for several days under "reasonable suspicion" while the State tries to build a case. Often, these first few days are used to conduct intense interrogations before filing a formal charge or being forced to release them,” concludes Abu Salih.The organization defending them has also reported that the two activists have suffered severe mistreatment during their detention, including physical assault, prolonged isolation, and periods with their eyes covered while being held at sea. In this regard, they have asked the court to open an investigation into the conduct of the military officials who guarded them. “Formally, there are internal mechanisms to investigate these allegations, but, according to Adalah's experience in cases of serious human rights violations, they are widely considered ineffective and lacking independence. In practice, they rarely lead to real accountability,” they state from the organization.Meanwhile, the two activists remain in the Shikma detention center in Ashkelon, where they continue in isolation and are on a hunger strike in protest of their situation.