A metro Detroit attorney who has helped lead multiple humanitarian flotillas bound for Gaza says she was abused and detained by Israeli forces after the ships were intercepted on October 8.

Huwaida Arraf, a human rights lawyer long involved in pro-Palestinian activism, says she was zip-tied, beaten, and held for five days before being deported. She describes her experience as minor compared with the suffering of people inside Gaza, where shortages of food, water, and medicine persist amid leveled city blocks and decimated infrastructure.

Arraf spoke with Robyn Vincent on The Metro about the incident and her decision to keep leading these missions meant to draw attention to Israel’s blockade of Gaza.

Ceasefire under strain

The Israeli war in Gaza following the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023, has killed nearly 68,000 Palestinians and over 1,200 Israelis. The latest flotilla voyage took place just before Israel and Hamas entered a fragile ceasefire agreement on Oct. 10. Days later, Israeli airstrikes resumed after reports of new clashes. Both Israel and Hamas have accused the other of breaking the truce. 

Humanitarian agencies say residents of Gaza face worsening hunger, disease, and displacement as aid convoys continue to be delayed or blocked.

Disputed blockade

Israel maintains a maritime blockade on Gaza, first imposed in 2007, which it says is necessary to stop weapons from reaching Hamas. Israeli naval forces routinely stop the flotillas that challenge the blockade.

Some international law experts argue that intercepting civilian aid ships in international waters violates maritime law and amounts to collective punishment. Israel disputes that interpretation and says the blockade is lawful under the right of self defense.

Reports of prisoner abuse

During her interview, Arraf referred to allegations of torture and abuse of Palestinians held in Israeli custody. International media outlets and global human rights groups document those allegations.

The Israeli organization B’Tselem released the 2024 report “Welcome to Hell – The Israeli Prison System as a Network of Torture Camps,” describing what it called the systematic abuse of Palestinians. Israeli officials deny the claim and say the country’s detention system meets legal standards.

Genocide case at the ICJ

Arraf also noted that Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague. The case was launched by South Africa at the end of 2023 and later joined by other countries, including Spain, Brazil, Mexico, Ireland, and Turkey.

Israel and the United States reject the accusation. Proceedings are ongoing and expected to take years, though the ICJ has found Israel’s occupation of Palestine unlawful under international law.

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It has been almost two years since Hamas attacked Israeli civilians on October 7. Since then, Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has killed more than 62,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. 

Israeli forces have destroyed schools, hospitals, mosques, and entire neighborhoods, turning daily life into rubble.

The United Nations warns that nearly 640,000 people are now facing famine. 

In the West Bank, armed Israeli settlers have stepped up violent attacks against Palestinians, while the Israeli government has carried out demolitions at some of the fastest rates in decades. At the same time, about 48 Israeli hostages remain trapped inside Gaza.

Israel’s leaders have approved a plan to seize Gaza City, and a leaked U.S.-linked proposal imagines putting Gaza under American trusteeship and paying Palestinians to leave — an idea many experts call forced transfer.

Meanwhile, the United States continues to supply Israel with weapons, as pro-Palestinian students face expulsions and immigrants are detained here at home. 

The crisis is drawing global attention. On Sept. 9, organizers of the Global Sumud Flotilla, a civilian mission that includes Greta Thunberg, said one of their boats in Tunisia was damaged by a drone strike. All crew members survived, but Tunisian officials deny a strike occurred, blaming a fire on life jackets.

As flotilla missions face fire abroad, longtime organizers like Huwaida Arraf are pressing for a bold global strategy.

Earlier this month, Arraf spoke at the People’s Conference for Palestine in Detroit, where she called to “globalize the intifada” as a worldwide movement for justice. The Arabic word intifada literally means “shaking off.” In Palestinian history, it refers to popular uprisings against Israeli occupation. 

Arraf, a Detroit-born civil rights attorney and Palestinian-American activist, co-founded the International Solidarity Movement and has helped lead several of the Gaza Freedom Flotillas — boats attempting to sail toward Gaza, break Israel’s naval blockade, and deliver humanitarian aid.

Arraf spoke with Robyn Vincent about why she has dedicated her life to nonviolent resistance.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on demand.

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