00:02At least 31 activists were injured after Israeli forces intercepted the Gaza-bound
00:08global Samud flotilla in international waters near the Greek island of Crete.
00:13More than 100 activists arrived in Crete on Friday after their vessels were seized while
00:19attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.
00:22Several alleged they were beaten, kicked and dragged during the operation, with some claiming
00:28they were denied food and water while in custody.
00:30We were taken for 40 hours, 60 people, which were a third of the people that were with
00:36us during a hunger strike.
00:37The other 120 people did not have enough food or water with them.
00:41We were forced to sleep on the floor, and the floor was flooded repeatedly with water, and
00:46we were beaten several times with our hands tied in our bags.
00:50Organizers said those injured came from multiple countries, including New Zealand, Australia,
00:55Italy, the United States, Canada, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Germany.
01:02There was no immediate response from Israel regarding the allegations.
01:07Activists also called for the release of two detained crew members, Saif Abu Keshek, a Spanish
01:13national of Palestinian origin, and Brazilian Tiago Avila.
01:39The flotilla had departed from Barcelona on April 12 in a bid to challenge Israel's blockade.
01:45Organizers said the mission would continue despite the interception.
01:50We intend to continue our mission because the situation has not changed, and we have seen
01:55that the Israeli occupation forces uses force even behind what we even could expect outside
02:02of any possible discussion.
02:05And so we think that we have still to stand up and rise up in order to defend the innocent
02:10people in Gaza and in the Palestinian territories.
02:14The flotilla was intercepted approximately 600 nautical miles from Gaza in waters off Crete.
02:30The flotilla was intercepted by the
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