News / Gaza
IDF detainee alive but injured in Istanbul
A man who went missing after his boat was detained by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is alive but injured in Istanbul.
Ben Trowell, 36, from St George was on a flotilla of boats delivering aid to Gaza, which is under an Israeli naval blockade, when the IDF intercepted it in international waters around 600 miles from the war zone near Crete.
Now Trowell has emerged in Türkiye, speaking in an Instagram video posted by Global Sumud UK.
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“I am in Istanbul currently being really amazingly looked after by the Turkish government,” he said, explaining that he had been flown in from Greece.
“I’m currently being sorted out by the Malaysian delegation. They are giving us phones to borrow; they are going to get me a t-shirt and a jumper. Shout out to the Malaysian delegation and the Turkish government for keeping us safe.”
Trowell said his own t-shirt was “ripped off of me when we were being kicked off the boat. We were beaten at the same time.
“I got the privilege of my passport and my white skin, so I was not beaten nearly as badly (but) my jaw is messed up (and) my back, and I’ve got bruises.”
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The Global Sumud Flotilla, which was carrying 179 activists on 21 boats, was dubbed a “PR stunt” by Israel, which says its actions complied with international law.
“It’s absolutely diabolical,” Trowell said of the IDF’s actions. “They are allowed to do whatever they want.”
“We need to mobilise. We need to act. We need to keep our brothers safe. I’m trying to stay calm (but) after going through what we’ve just gone through… it was horrific. It was horrible.
“It’s absolutely nothing compared to what the Palestinians go through on a daily basis.”
In a statement read out while Trowell was missing, Bristol East MP Kerry McCarthy said: “Intercepting the fleet in international waters, hundreds of miles from Israel, and detaining those on board, is an unacceptable and illegal action by Israel.
“The flotilla was a peaceful mission, hoping to deliver much needed humanitarian aid to Gaza.”
Main photo: Global Sumud UK
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