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Aussie campaigners held in Israeli custody have reported enduring what they call “demeaning and insulting conditions” after their arrest aboard a flotilla carrying aid to Gaza.

An activist, McEwen, stated he was slapped and suffered a shoulder injury and had his head slammed into the ground.

Health Concerns and Detention Conditions

A second activist, Juliet Lamont, voiced serious concern about her well-being, stating she was at danger of a medical emergency after her daily medication were seized by authorities.

She portrayed the prison environment as “dystopian” and added that her request for more medication had not been met.

McEwen and Lamont are among seven Australians verified by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to have been detained in Israel.

Officials mentioned they are providing support to the detainees, including through direct meetings.

Claims of Unsafe Conditions

They are being held in a maximum-security facility in the Negev desert and assert that they and other detainees were given water that was undrinkable due to a strong chemical taste.

McEwen informed consular staff that he had been held in a cage with 80 other people without sustenance, while being exposed to abuse from Israeli officials.

She stated that upon arriving the detention center, she was escorted to a room with female detainees and berated by guards, who called them “terrorists”.

Interception and Handling Details

McEwen, aged 40, and the documentary film-maker, in her fifties, were detained on last week when their Gaza-bound ships were intercepted by the naval forces.

They were part of the international aid mission comprising dozens of boats and hundreds of participants, including lawmakers, legal experts, and campaigners.

Dfat officials met with the Aussie detainees on the following day.

According to a account reviewed by sources, McEwen described “degrading and humiliating treatment” after being taken to the port of Ashdod.

He stated that his spirits was poor due to restriction of rest and threatening conduct from Israeli prison guards.

Relatives Concerns and Medical Problems

His mother, Jacinta, a former nurse, expressed she had been contacting authorities for daily updates and was worried about the “intense” situation her son was experiencing.

“If he’s got a dislocated shoulder and he’s had a head injury and he hasn’t received any medical aid, I’m worried about that,” she remarked.

She believed her son’s deportation was being delayed because he declined to sign a document acknowledging he had breached immigration laws.

The convoy maintains it was illegally intercepted by the Israeli navy in open sea.

McEwen also informed representatives that authorities had torn up pages of his passport because it was electronically embedded.

Both individuals discarded their phones into the sea before their arrest.

Variations in Detainment Accounts

Although he stated his detainment on board the Mia Mia was executed with little violence, Lamont – travelling on a separate boat – recounted a “humiliating” ordeal.

She claimed her hands were zip-tied behind her back, she was sprayed with a high-pressure hose, and was made to sit in an stifling space with her hands tied and clothes soaked for an extended period.

During this time, she said her head was forcibly pushed by Israeli forces.

Detention Conditions and Health Effects

Both are being held in the facility, which is mainly utilized to hold Palestinian prisoners, many of whom authorities accuses of engaging in unlawful acts.

After Australian officials met with her, they noted she was “emotionally distressed”, weeping repeatedly during the meeting.

The parent was reported as feeling thirsty, weak, dizzy, and disoriented.

Lamont mentioned a official had warned her that water from taps was unsafe to drink, and she believed her lack of fluids was exacerbating her high blood pressure.

On the day of her detainment, after her prescription was taken, Lamont explained a doctor – after checking her blood pressure – had given her a single tablet of drugs.

But after Australian officials visited her, they reported she was feeling lethargic, disoriented, and tired, and worried she was at danger of stroke.

Her appeal to consult a physician had gone unanswered.

Global and Relative Reactions

A spokesperson for Global Movement to Gaza Australia voiced concern that her friend was at risk of succumbing without necessary drugs.

The mother of another detained Australian, her daughter, said she had obtained a update from Australian officials giving a verbal account of their visit to the facility.

She described that her child had been exposed to mistreatment, degradation, threats, and was physically handled and shoved.

She was also left in a courtyard in the heat for five hours with no shade, food or water.

She further described a faucet with contaminated water, meaning she had drunk no or little water in an extended period.

Official Statements

Dfat replied to inquiries with a statement that said the Australian government had “made clear to Israel our expectation that detainees will receive humane treatment in line with international norms”.

“We again urge Israel to allow continuous, unrestricted humanitarian aid to reach Gaza,” the announcement added.

Sources reached out to Israel’s prison service, the Israel Defense Forces, the Israeli ministry for foreign affairs, and the Israeli embassy in Australia, but no one responded to a request for comment.