(MENAFN) Italian Member of the European Parliament (MEP), Benedetta Scuderi, stated on Monday that she, along with hundreds of others, was detained and subjected to mistreatment by Israeli authorities after participating in the Global Sumud Flotilla.

The flotilla was launched with the aim of delivering humanitarian supplies to Gaza.

During a speech at the European Parliament's plenary session in Strasbourg, Scuderi explained that she and four fellow MEPs were part of a group of nearly 400 activists aboard vessels that, according to her account, were intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters.

The participants were then forcibly transported to the Israeli port of Ashdod.

Scuderi shared that those detained were denied access to essential resources, including nourishment, drinking water, rest, and medical care.

In some instances, she reported that individuals were subjected to physical violence.

The Italian representative characterized the flotilla as a nonviolent, humanitarian initiative aimed at providing relief to Gaza’s residents, who are enduring a blockade and severe food shortages.

She expressed disappointment toward European authorities and national governments for their lack of intervention to safeguard international law and basic human rights.

According to Scuderi, the flotilla's members had taken action where political leaders had failed.

Scuderi also mentioned that some activists, such as French MEPs Rima Hassan and Emma Fourreau, had not yet returned, while another vessel—carrying additional European activists, including French MEP Melissa Camara—was still en route to Gaza.

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