Rima Hassan, Thiago Avila on hunger strike after Israeli detention
4 Min Read
French MEP Rima Hassan and Brazilian activist Thiago Avila begin hunger strike after Israeli detention following the Gaza aid flotilla hijacking.
-
The Gaza-bound aid boat, Madleen, detained by the Israeli naval forces, enters to Asdod Port in southern occupied Palestine after being seized by Israeli forces, Monday, June 9, 2025. (AP)
French Member of the European Parliament Rima Hassan and Brazilian activist Thiago Avila have begun a hunger strike after being placed in solitary confinement by the Israeli occupation authorities, according to officials and rights advocates. Both were aboard the humanitarian aid vessel Madleen, which was hijacked by Israeli forces earlier this week as it attempted to approach the besieged Gaza Strip.
Vice President of the French Parliament, Clemence Guette, confirmed on Wednesday that Hassan had been isolated in “unsanitary conditions” and has launched a hunger strike in protest. In a second statement on X, Guette reported that Hassan was subjected to threats by Israeli officials. “Men working under [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu told her: ‘If you don’t sign [the deportation papers], we’ll smash your head against the wall. We’ll do it our way,'” Guette quoted.
Guette has called for a protest in support of Hassan at 7 pm local French time, demanding her immediate release and international intervention.
Activists refusing deportation to go to court
The Israeli Foreign Ministry earlier announced that the pro-Palestine activists detained aboard the Madleen had been transferred to Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv for deportation. The ministry stated that those refusing to sign deportation documents would be processed through Israeli courts “in accordance with Israeli law.”
Among the ship’s passengers was Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, whose presence has drawn additional global scrutiny. According to French physician Baptiste Andre, who spoke to Politico on Tuesday, the Israeli authorities handled the detainees aboard the aid boat with “aggressive and inappropriate methods.”
The Madleen, a vessel organized by the pro-Palestine Freedom Flotilla Coalition, departed from Italy on June 1 carrying humanitarian aid intended for civilians in the besieged Gaza Strip.
'Israel' raids freedom flotilla
The boat was seized early Monday, approximately 200 kilometers off the coast of Gaza, by Israeli naval forces enforcing the ongoing blockade. Twelve passengers, including Thunberg and Dr. Andre, were detained and transferred to the occupied territories.
The incident has intensified international criticism of the Israeli regime’s ongoing blockade of Gaza, as well as its treatment of foreign humanitarian activists. Hassan, a prominent French MEP of Palestinian descent, has long been vocal in advocating for Palestinian rights and has previously been denied entry to occupied Palestine for her support of the BDS movement.
According to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, four activists, including Thunberg, signed deportation documents and were returned to their home countries by Tuesday evening. The remaining detainees are awaiting court hearings.
Political fallout and calls for accountability
In a video posted on Monday, Thunberg said her group had been "intercepted and hijacked" by the Israeli regime. She urged the Swedish government to pressure Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and hold his administration accountable for the treatment of peaceful protesters and aid workers.
Thunberg showed that the voyage was a non-violent demonstration against the Israeli naval blockade and a response to the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The Gaza Strip has endured relentless bombardment and siege, leaving civilians in desperate need of aid.
The Israeli government has dismissed the Freedom Flotilla’s mission, calling it a breach of its blockade. Officials described the vessel as a "selfie yacht" and accused the activists of staging a political stunt rather than providing genuine aid.
Despite these accusations, human rights advocates have defended the flotilla’s action, arguing that the delivery of aid and the symbolic challenge to the siege were both urgent and legitimate. “I don’t have the legal qualifications to specify what happened,” said Andre, “but there were acts of mistreatment.”
The incident has sparked renewed scrutiny of the Israeli occupation’s treatment of detainees and the legality of its maritime blockade, especially when enforced far beyond Gaza’s coastal waters.
