Dhaka, Oct. 5 -- Activists detained while attempting to reach Gaza by sea have accused Israeli authorities of abuse and humiliation during their detention, following the interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla.

Israeli forces detained around 450 people when they stopped the 42-boat flotilla between Wednesday and Friday. The fleet had been attempting to break Israel's naval blockade and deliver a symbolic amount of aid to Gaza, where famine conditions persist. Many detainees remain imprisoned in Israel.

Italian journalist Saverio Tommasi said Israeli soldiers confiscated medicines and treated detainees "like monkeys." On his return to Rome late Saturday, he described the treatment as "torture" and "a denial of even the most basic human...