(MENAFN) Eight German citizens who were detained by Israeli forces while sailing in international waters as part of the Global Sumud Flotilla returned to Germany, arriving to an emotional reception at Berlin Brandenburg Airport.

Among those released was activist Kubra Cinar, who reunited with her family and described severe mistreatment during her time in Israeli custody. Speaking to media, Cinar recounted a harrowing ordeal.

“We were not allowed to meet our lawyers. Sick people were denied their medication. We were not given food for 48 hours, and for about 36 hours, no water at all,” she said. “Various forms of violence were used against us.”

Cinar openly condemned both the Israeli government and her own.

“Germany is the second-largest supplier of weapons to Israel. As always, it chose to ignore Israel’s lawlessness and supported Israel instead of its own citizens,” she stated.

Despite her experience, Cinar remained defiant, vowing to continue participating in similar missions.

“We will not stop. We will keep going until the blockade on Gaza is lifted,” she said.

Another German activist, Yasemin Acar, offered a similar account of the conditions endured during detention.

“They were locked in small spaces, kept under the sun for hours without food or water, and then beaten,” she said.

“They have weapons, but what we have is love for the Palestinian people,” Acar added. “Even while being beaten, we kept shouting ‘Free Palestine.’”

Both activists highlighted the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Acar stated: “The Palestinian people are living through genocide. Babies are being killed, and they call even tiny infants ‘terrorists.’”

Israeli naval forces intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla on Wednesday, detaining more than 470 individuals from over 50 countries. The convoy was en route to deliver humanitarian supplies to Gaza and protest the longstanding Israeli blockade.

Israel has enforced a blockade on Gaza—where nearly 2.4 million people reside—for close to 18 years. Since October 2023, Israeli military operations have claimed the lives of over 67,100 Palestinians, primarily women and children, and left the region largely uninhabitable.

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