Two Gaza flotilla activists from Spain and Brazil appear in Israeli court

Spanish national Saif Abu Keshek and Brazilian Thiago Avila, two activists detained from a Gaza-bound flotilla, appeared before an Israeli court in Ashkelon on Sunday.

Israel intercepted the flotilla of more than 50 vessels in international waters off Greece on Thursday, removing around 175 activists who had set sail from France, Spain and Italy to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza.

Who are the two Gaza flotilla activists detained by Israel?

Saif Abu Keshek is a Spanish national and Thiago Avila is Brazilian. Both were among roughly 175 activists seized when Israeli forces intercepted the flotilla in international waters off Greece on Thursday.

They were brought to Israel for questioning and held at Shikma Prison in Ashkelon while the rest of the intercepted activists disembarked on Crete.

What did the detained activists say about their treatment?

Lawyers from the Israeli rights group Adalah visited the pair at Shikma Prison on Saturday. Avila told the lawyers he had been "subjected to extreme brutality" during the seizure, saying he was dragged face-down across the floor and beaten so severely that he lost consciousness twice. Since arriving in Israel, he said he had been kept in isolation and blindfolded.

Abu Keshek also described being hand-tied, blindfolded and forced to lie face-down from the moment of his seizure until he reached Israel, according to Adalah. The group's international advocacy coordinator, Miriam Azem, told AFP on Sunday that the state had asked to extend the pair's detention by four days.

What allegations has Israel made against the two activists?

Israel's foreign ministry said both men were affiliated with the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad, a group Washington has accused of acting clandestinely on behalf of Hamas.

The ministry described Abu Keshek as a leading member of the organisation and said Avila was linked to it and suspected of illegal activity. Spain has rejected these accusations and condemned the detention of Abu Keshek.

Where was the flotilla intercepted and what happened to the other activists?

Flotilla organizers said the Israeli interception took place more than 1,000 kilometers from Gaza and that equipment on board was smashed, leaving crews facing what they called a calculated death trap at sea. Dozens of the intercepted activists disembarked on the Greek island of Crete on Friday, an AFP journalist reported.

The flotilla's first Mediterranean voyage to Gaza last year also drew widespread attention before Israeli forces intercepted it off the coasts of Egypt and Gaza, arresting and expelling crew members including Swedish activist Greta Thunberg.