{"id":691578,"date":"2026-05-24T13:52:15","date_gmt":"2026-05-24T13:52:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/691578\/"},"modified":"2026-05-24T13:52:15","modified_gmt":"2026-05-24T13:52:15","slug":"global-sumud-flotilla-first-australian-gemma-otoole-arrives-home-as-family-demands-answers-from-israel-meeting-with-prime-minister","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/691578\/","title":{"rendered":"Global Sumud Flotilla: First Australian Gemma O\u2019Toole arrives home as family demands answers from Israel, meeting with prime minister"},"content":{"rendered":"

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A Melbourne woman has touched down in Australia, alleging she and fellow detainees were mistreated by Israeli authorities after their Gaza-bound flotilla was intercepted.<\/p>\n

Gemma O\u2019Toole was the first of 11 Australians released by Israel<\/a> to arrive home on Sunday night, where she was greeted by her parents and more than 100 supporters at Melbourne Airport.<\/p>\n

\"GemmaGemma O\u2019Toole, middle, hugs her parents Dr Suzie O\u2019Toole and Dr Patrick Keyzer, after arriving home in Melbourne on Sunday night.Wayne Taylor<\/p>\n

Amid long hugs, tears, and chants of support, O\u2019Toole \u2013 flanked by her parents, Dr Patrick Keyzer and Dr Suzie O\u2019Toole \u2013 personally thanked all the people who came to welcome her home, vowing that this would not be the end of the matter.<\/p>\n

O\u2019Toole alleged that she and around 480 activists were physically, mentally and, in some cases, sexually abused after they were intercepted by the IDF on May 18 while sailing with the Global Sumud Flotilla towards Gaza where they intended to deliver aid.<\/p>\n

The treatment of the detained activists was thrown into the international spotlight last Thursday when Israel\u2019s national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir<\/a> published a video of him taunting groups of detainees who were zip-tied and forced to kneel on the ground.<\/p>\n

The videos received widespread international condemnation. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the actions were \u201cnot in line with Israel\u2019s values and norms\u201d, but the flotilla\u2019s mission amounted to unnecessary provocation.<\/p>\n

\"AustralianAustralian activist Gemma O\u2019Toole arrived home in Melbourne on Sunday night.Wayne Taylor<\/p>\n

On Sunday, O\u2019Toole and her family demanded an audience with the prime minister and called for more action against Israel following her experiences in Israeli custody.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was definitely the weirdest week of my life and definitely the worst week of my life,\u201d O\u2019Toole said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI haven\u2019t seen much of the media reporting as I haven\u2019t had a phone for a long time but I gather there is a lot of attention on the Ben-Gvir video which is so insane to me,\u201d O\u2019Toole said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat you saw in that video is an infinitesimal amount of what we actually went through.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen to think that is what they do to predominantly white people when they are being, relatively, held to account.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a video posted to Free Gaza Australia\u2019s Instagram<\/a> account, O\u2019Toole said she was strip-searched multiple times and repeatedly \u201cpushed in the chest\u201d by male guards.<\/p>\n

\u201cMe personally, I was strip-searched, repeatedly pushed in the chest with a man grabbing my boobs, asking me if I was a girl or a boy,\u201d O\u2019Toole said in the video.<\/p>\n

She added that they were unable to sleep as guards would wake them every 30 minutes to be moved rooms and recounted.<\/p>\n

Israel\u2019s Australian ambassador Hillel Newman told ABC\u2019s 7.30 program last week no one was hurt during the interception of the activists.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo one was hurt, the interception was done very smoothly,\u201d Hillel Newman told the 7.30 program. He \u201crefuted completely\u201d any allegations of sexual humiliation, said claims of \u201cviolence is not true\u201d and that \u201cmany accusations thrown out there are not true\u201d.<\/p>\n

But when told of that comment, O\u2019Toole said there were around 80 activists in hospital in Turkey, and she had visited five of them before she flew home including people with broken vertebrae, broken legs and a fractured sternum and collapsed lung.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone is so deeply traumatised,\u201d O\u2019Toole said.<\/p>\n

Related Article\"Hillel<\/a><\/p>\n

Newman, who is three months into his posting, had been hauled before the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on Thursday afternoon on Foreign Minister Penny Wong\u2019s orders.<\/p>\n

The government aimed to \u201creinforce\u201d its displeasure over a video posted by Ben-Gvir.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe condemn his actions and the degrading actions of Israeli authorities towards those detained,\u201d Wong said in a statement on Thursday, calling the video \u201cshocking and unacceptable\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cAustralia\u2019s ambassador to Israel has made representations to Israel, reiterating our call for the release of the detained Australians and for Israel to ensure no ill treatment of any detainees and to act in line with international obligations. I also directed DFAT to call in Israel\u2019s ambassador to Australia to reinforce this message.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"GemmaGemma O\u2019Toole speaks to the media on Sunday night after returning to Australia as her supporters watch on.Wayne Taylor<\/p>\n

The Australian activists onboard the flotilla were Juliet and Isla Lamont, Zack Schofield, Surya McEwen, Dr Bianca Webb-Pullman, Anny Mokotow, Neve Barwick O\u2019Connor, Sam Woripa Watson, Violet Coco, Helen O\u2019Sullivan and O\u2019Toole.<\/p>\n

O\u2019Toole\u2019s parents called for serious action from the Australian government against Israel, and they want an audience with the prime minister to make their case.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf that is what they are prepared to do to Australians, on camera, imagine what they are doing to Palestinians who are locked up for years and years and years,\u201d Keyzer said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m really angry. We want an audience with the prime minister. This doesn\u2019t stop here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Related Article\"Juliet<\/a><\/p>\n

Suzie O\u2019Toole said she was incredibly proud of her daughter and enraged at the treatment of the activists.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m enraged, exhausted but absolutely furious that my daughter and all those other brave activists were kidnapped by Israel, held hostage, bashed and sleep-deprived all because they got on boats to take aid to starving people,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey sailed on those boats because governments around the world, including Australia, haven\u2019t pushed back against Israel in their relentless killing and ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe is clearly traumatised, we really need to get her home and start putting the pieces back together.\u201d<\/p>\n

With Bronte Gossling and Nick Newling<\/p>\n

Start the day with a summary of the most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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\"RoyRoy Ward<\/a> is a sports writer, live blogger and breaking news journalist. He’s been writing for The Age since 2010.Connect via X<\/a> or email<\/a>.From our partners