Polish Global Sumud activists say they were abducted by Israeli forces while returning from a Gaza humanitarian mission on 8 October and held in detention for five days.
Return to Poland
Polish activists from the Global Sumud fleet returned to the country after completing a humanitarian mission to Gaza. The flotilla had departed with nearly 480 people aboard.
Abduction by Israeli Forces
On the evening of 8 October, Israeli troops halted the vessels in international waters during the night from Wednesday to Thursday of the previous week, seizing forty yachts. Activists Nina Ptak, Ewa Jasiewicz, Omar Faris and MP Franciszek Sterczewski were detained for five days.
Coercive Conditions in Detention
According to Sterczewski, the activists were brutalized; guards illuminated their eyes with flashlights, played propaganda videos, and threatened them with canine attacks. They were prevented from sleeping and denied food, drinking water, and basic rights.
Account of Abuse
Jasiewicz detailed continuous sabotage, humiliation, shouting, kicking, deprivation of food and water, insults, and dehumanizing behaviour throughout the abduction and detention.
Political Condemnation
MP Sterczewski criticized Polish politicians for downplaying the incident and for legitimising Israeli actions. He demanded a ministerial resignation and immediate policy change, calling for sanctions against Israel and recognition of Hamas and Israel as war criminals.
Calls for UN Engagement
He urged the Polish government to respect United Nations resolutions on the Gaza blockade and to consider the situation as genocide and systematic starvation, expecting the government to act accordingly.