BREAKING: Political Prisoner Saif Abukeshek Escalates to Dry Hunger Strike Following Rejection of Appeal by israeli District Court [multilingual pdf]

ASKALAN, OCCUPIED PALESTINE — The Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) confirms that Saif Abukeshek, a humanitarian activist abducted by israeli occupation forces in international waters, has escalated his protest to a "dry" hunger strike, refusing both food and water. The escalation follows today’s arbitrary decision by the “Beer Sheva District Court,” rejecting an appeal filed by the Adalah Legal Center and upheld its decision to extend his detention and that of Thiago de Ávila until Sunday, May 10, 2026, at 9:00 AM.

Both activists have been on a hunger strike since their illegal abduction by the IOF in international waters last Thursday. Their hunger strike is in protest of a judicial process that their legal team characterizes as "unlawful and unreasonable." The court’s decision relied on "secret evidence" that neither the activists nor their lawyers were permitted to see or challenge.

The two political activists are currently being held hostage for their political commitment to humanitarian solidarity with the people of Gaza. By moving to a dry strike, Saif is exposing a system that uses administrative detention to silence voices for justice.

A Crisis of Conscience and Jurisdiction

The Global Sumud Flotilla highlights the following critical developments:

• Political Imprisonment: Baseless charges are being used to criminalize the act of delivering humanitarian aid and opening a humanitarian maritime corridor. The UN Human Rights Office has already clarified that "it is not a crime to show solidarity."
• Illegal Abduction in International Waters: The activists were seized from an Italian-flagged vessel in international waters, which is a clear violation of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
• Italian Jurisdiction: As the vessel was under Italian jurisdiction, the Italian government has already condemned the operation as illegal
• Lack of Legal Authority: Attorneys Hadeel Abu Salih and Lubna Tuma argued that because there was no lawful authority to carry out the arrest, every subsequent day of detention is illegal.
• Extradition Violations: Abukeshek and Ávila were seized 600 nautical miles from Gaza in international waters. His detention remains a violation of international maritime law and a case of extrajudicial abduction. A lawful transfer would have required formal extradition.
• The Ticking Clock: A dry hunger strike is an extreme medical emergency. Without water, the risk of permanent organ failure or death becomes imminent within 72 to 96 hours.
• Psychological Torture: Reports indicate both Abukeshek and fellow detainee Thiago Ávila are being held in isolation under 24-hour high-intensity lighting - a practice which consistently results in sleep deprivation.

These abductions of international flotilla participants are a direct extension of the state violence, administrative detention and torture used against Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, with no due process or legitimate justice system, for decades. The "legal" proceedings, relying on secret evidence and lack of jurisdiction, are the same mechanisms used to maintain the illegal siege of Gaza and the ongoing genocide.

The transition from a hunger strike to a dry strike is a cry for the world to wake up. Saif’s hunger strike is a call for the world to take action to end the manufactured famine and starvation in Gaza, and to hold israel accountable for its crimes against the Palestinian people.

The Global Sumud Flotilla demands the immediate and unconditional release of Saif Abukeshek, Thiago Ávila and all Palestinian hostages and political prisoners.

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