Keshek was on “an observer boat which was never intended to go to Gaza,” the statement read, adding that he was “harshly beaten before being removed and isolated from the rest of the participants.”
The Global Sumud Flotilla issued a statement saying that one of the two flotilla activists detained by Israel, Saif Abu Keshek, never intended to go to Gaza on Friday.
Keshek was on “an observer boat which was never intended to go to Gaza,” the statement read, adding that he was “harshly beaten before being removed and isolated from the rest of the participants.”
In another statement released on Saturday, the Global Sumud Flotilla claimed that Keshek was tortured, writing that “participant eyewitnesses provided harrowing testimony of Keshek’s screams echoing throughout the ship as he was subjected to systematic torture, after being separated from others.”
While almost all activists detained aboard the flotilla were taken to Greece, two, Keshek and Thiago Ávila, were brought to Israel for questioning – Keshek due to suspicions of affiliation with a terrorist organization and Ávila due to suspicions of illegal activity.
Ávila, Keshek allegedly work with PCPA, Hamas-affiliated org
According to the Foreign Ministry, Keshek is a leading member of the PCPA, an organization that functions as a front for Hamas. Keshek serves as a liaison between Hamas officials and international contacts, as well as assisting in financial transfers to the terror group.
Keshek was previously arrested in Egypt and deported in June 2025, and faced prior detention for questioning in Tunisia in connection with financial crimes.
Keshek and Ávila, who the Foreign Ministry said also work with the PCPA, were brought to Israel to be questioned by law enforcement authorities.
Both will receive a consular visit from the representatives of their respective countries in Israel, the Foreign Ministry stated on Saturday.
Spain, where Keshek holds citizenship, and Brazil, Ávila’s home country, released a joint statement condemning the “kidnapping of two of their citizens in international waters” on Friday.
The two countries demand the immediate return of their citizens.