By Abel Ra'ouf Arnaout
JERUSALEM (AA) - An Israeli court on Tuesday extended the detention of Global Sumud Flotilla activists, Brazilian Thiago de Avila and Spanish activist of Palestinian origin Saif Abukeshek, for an additional six days.
The latest extension comes after the Ashkelon Magistrate's Court in southern Israel on Sunday extended the activists' detention by two days until Tuesday.
Adalah, an Israeli advocacy group for Palestinians inside Israel, said in a statement obtained by Anadolu that the activists will remain in detention until May 10.
The activists' lawyers stressed during the hearing that 'the allegations against them are baseless and that there is no legal justification for their continued detention,' the group said.
'The Adalah team clarified that no formal charges have been filed against them, and that their detention is intended to complete the investigation,' the statement added.
The advocacy group said Monday that Avile and Abukeshek received 'death threats' in Israeli prisons, where they are being held in complete isolation under continuous bright lighting 24 hours a day.
Israeli forces attacked the Global Sumud Flotilla on April 30 near the Greek island of Crete, some 600 nautical miles from the blockade-ravaged enclave of Gaza.
Israel has imposed a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip since 2007, leaving the territory's 2.4 million people on the verge of starvation.
The Israeli army launched a brutal two-year offensive on Gaza in October 2023, killing more than 72,000 people, injuring over 172,000, and causing massive destruction across the besieged territory.
*Writing by Serdar Dincel
