Since October 2, seven Australians have been held by authorities after approximately 450 activists on 50 vessels were apprehended by the Israeli navy around 70 kilometers from Gaza.

Israel says they are “safe and in good health”.

The Global Movement To Gaza claims that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) informed them that one detained Australian, Surya McEwen, reported being physically assaulted, including his head being slammed against a hard surface, arm dislocation, and threats along with verbal abuse.

DFAT said it could not comment on the claims, citing “privacy obligations”.

“The Australian government has conveyed to Israel our expectation that detainees are treated humanely, in accordance with international standards,” stated a department spokesperson.

Jacinta McEwen, Surya’s mother, has called on the government to act.

“The Australian government must do everything in their power to bring him and all seven Australians home immediately,” she said.

“He’s being tortured for trying to feed starving people.”

Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong noted it was a “distressing time” and said government officials are doing “everything they can” to aid the Australians detained by Israel, which includes direct visits.

“We have made clear to Israel our expectation that detainees will receive humane treatment in line with international norms,” she said.

The Australian government firmly advises citizens against attempting to break the naval blockade due to safety concerns, as previous attempts have led to casualties, injuries, and arrests.

Consular assistance is being provided to seven Australians detained in Israel. Those Australians have been named by the flotilla organisers as McEwen, filmmaker Juliet Lamont, content creator Abubakir Rafiq, Hamish Paterson, Bianca Webb-Pullman, Cameron Tribe and one more unidentified person.

The Global Sumud Flotilla, comprising about 50 boats from 44 nations, is the largest coordinated civilian flotilla to try to to break through Israel’s naval blockade to deliver a symbolic amount of aid to Gaza.

About 500 activists were on board, including Greta Thunberg, Nelson Mandela’s grandson Mandla Mandela, former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau and European Parliament member Rima Hassan.

Almost all of them were arrested, with the Israeli Foreign Ministry saying that it offered voluntary deportation to all activists, with those choosing to remain to go through a legal deportation process.

Thunberg reportedly levelled allegations of mistreatment against Israel, saying she sat for hours on hard surfaces in an infested jail and was denied adequate food and water.

Other activists, upon their deportation, have shared their own experiences and accused Israel of similar treatment.

Journalist Saverio Tommasi said Israeli soldiers had withheld medicines and treated prisoners “like monkeys”, while Lorenzo D’Agostino said detainees were repeatedly woken during the two nights he spent behind bars.

D’Agostino said activists were also intimidated with dogs and by soldiers pointing the laser sights of their guns at prisoners “to scare us”. He said their belongings and money had been “stolen”.

Paolo De Montis described being crammed into a prison van for hours with his hands secured by zip-ties.

“Constant stress and humiliation,” he said.

“You weren’t allowed to look them in the face, always had to keep your head down and when I did look up, a man … came and shook me and slapped me on the back of the head. They forced us to stay on our knees for four hours.”

Israel’s Foreign Ministry said the claims were “brazen lies”.

“The claims regarding the mistreatment of Greta Thunberg and other detainees from the Hamas-Sumud flotilla are brazen lies,” it said in a social media post yesterday.

“All the detainees’ legal rights are fully upheld.”

In another post, Israel’s Foreign Ministry said: “Don’t believe the fake news they are spreading”.

— With Associated Press