Pro‑Gaza flotilla activists detained by Israel encounter police beatings on return to Spain

Benito González Rodríguez, a retired telecom worker from Cangas, Galicia, was part of the Global Sumud flotilla that set out for Gaza. The Israeli navy intercepted the vessels in international waters, holding the activists for about 48 hours. González described being kept on a "prison ship" with containers, handcuffed, beaten and subjected to psychological intimidation.

After their release, the activists returned to Spain where Basque police in Bilbao used batons to strike them as they disembarked. The police action was reported as a harsh response to the pro‑Gaza flotilla participants. Israel alleges the flotilla is linked to Hamas, while the activists maintain it was a humanitarian mission. The incidents occur amid heightened tension over the Gaza blockade and broader regional conflict.