(L–R) Saif Abu Keshek and Thiago Ávila are held on “Mickey Mouse” charges in Israel for attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. Photo credit: Social media / X.
An Israeli court has extended the detention of two activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla, who were brought to Israel for interrogation and torture. Spanish national Saif Abu Keshek and Brazilian national Thiago Ávila were arrested after Israeli forces intercepted their boat in international waters on April 29, 2026. The two activists are being held on baseless charges because they were among the flotilla’s lead organizers.
If the Israeli government can accuse anyone of “contact with a foreign agent” or “terror organization,” then by the same logic, any Israeli citizen who joined the IDF—an army accused internationally of committing genocide—should be subject to arrest abroad. Israel is seeking reciprocal arrests; the rest of the world should respond in kind, especially Brazil, Spain, and other countries whose nationals have taken part in the Israeli military campaign in Palestine and Lebanon.
Yesterday, an Israeli court ruled that the two volunteers abducted in international waters from a Gaza‑bound aid flotilla will not be released. The lawyer for Ávila and Abu Keshek reports that both men have been abused in custody. Ávila told his lawyer, “I am not willing to leave without my friend Saif Abu Keshek.” Both Brazil and Spain maintain that their abduction and detention are illegal.
Thiago Ávila—a young Brazilian who has repeatedly challenged the Israeli establishment—has participated in three separate flotillas attempting to break the siege on Gaza. During a previous attempt, he developed severe skin ailments while held in solitary confinement. This time, he and Saif Abu Keshek have again been placed in solitary confinement and subjected to physical and psychological torture.
Israel is attempting to intimidate others and break the resolve of these two young men who are committed to ending the naval blockade on Gaza. Today, Israel extended their detention in what amounts to a military kangaroo court, despite the fact that both are civilians.
Erika Guevara‑Rosas, Senior Director of Research, Advocacy, Policy, and Campaigns at Amnesty International, stated in part:
In short: to stop punishing Palestinians and those expressing solidarity and begin concerted cooperation effort to prevent, end and punish those who commit acts of genocide and other atrocities.
Tunisian journalist and writer Wejdene Bouabdallah (@tounsiahourra) wrote: “A Brazilian father leaves his home on a distant continent—and his family—to brave the seas time and again, all to reach Gaza and tell its people: ‘I stand with you.’ On many occasions, he never made it; instead, he was arrested and tortured. Ávila is a man of that rare breed who cling to their principles and go to extraordinary lengths to remain faithful to them.”
In Ireland, a newlywed couple brought their entire wedding party to a solidarity march for Gaza and for the release of the two international peace activists still held hostage in what is often called “the only democracy in the Middle East.”
“Israel’s abduction, beating, and torture of activists constitute a crime.” In an interview with Al Jazeera, American writer and international activist Hannah Clare Smith stated that the interception of aid vessels in international waters is a flagrant violation of international law.
Spanish activist Daniel Mayakovski (@DaniMayakovski) tweeted in defense of the two hostages: “On the left, Thiago Ávila, a solidarity activist kidnapped by ‘Israel’ (along with Saif Abu Keshek) for the crime of bringing food to starving children in Gaza. On the right, Netanyahu, being applauded by the U.S. Congress after killing more than 70,000 Palestinians in Gaza. A system where genocidaires are applauded and the solidarity workers who bring food to children are arrested deserves to be destroyed down to its foundations.”
Last February, a former IDF soldier with dual Turkish citizenship was detained in Turkey while visiting her parents and later released after U.S. diplomatic pressure. Turkey prohibits its citizens from serving in the armed forces of a foreign country. Approximately 50,000 Israeli soldiers hold dual citizenship, as do many civilians discharged from the Israeli army—placing them at risk of arrest and prosecution abroad.
Ávila’s wife told Al Jazeera from Brazil that her husband and Saif Abu Keshek have been held without charge since their abduction from the Gaza‑bound flotilla. She reported that her husband has been beaten in Israeli custody and that a judge has extended his detention.
Italian‑Irish American activist Marianne Lombardo of Columbus, Ohio, posted on Facebook a letter Ávila dictated to his lawyer for his daughter Teresa in Brazil, adding the caption: “And the fucking world does nothing!”
Letter from Thiago Ávila to His Daughter Teresa
“Dear Teresa,
I’m sorry I’m not at home with you right now. Unfortunately, your father, your mother, and so many people around the world understand the historic task we have the responsibility to carry out.
Today, more than a million children are suffering a genocide: they are left to die of hunger, undergo amputations without anesthesia, and endure the pain of horrible, hate‑filled ideas, even though they don’t know what Zionism and imperialism are.
I’m sure you miss me terribly; all the mothers and fathers of Palestinian children feel their absence terribly too, and they would give anything to live a life filled with love, happiness, and joy—the kind every human being deserves, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, or any other characteristic.
Your world will be safer because so many parents have decided to give everything to build a better future for you.
I hope that one day you can understand that, precisely because I love you so much, there was nothing more dangerous for you and for other children than living in a world that accepts genocide.
Please remember your father as the person who sang to you and played the guitar to lull you to sleep. And when you grow up, your mother will also tell you that your father was a revolutionary and that, even in the face of the world’s most terrible people—Donald Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Itamar Ben‑Gvir—he stood firm in his conviction to build a better world.
Please, never forget Palestine.
With all my love, Thiago Ávila”
Caption for bottom photo: Spanish Saif Abu Keshek and Brazilian Thiago Avila were arrested after the Israeli pirates illegally intercepted their boat in international waters on April 29, 2026. The two activists are being held in a Micky Mouse charges because they were the lead organizers. Social media.
