Canadian activists allege Israeli forces beat and shoot flotilla participants in Gaza bid

Canadian activists participating in a humanitarian flotilla to Gaza have described a violent interception by Israeli forces, alleging they were shot at, beaten, and left adrift at sea. The incidents occurred in late April and again in recent days as the activists attempted to breach Israel's naval blockade of the Palestinian territory.

Luiza Ravalli, a nurse from the Greater Toronto Area, said an unmarked speedboat approached her vessel off the coast of Crete on April 29. She heard a loudspeaker order to turn back or be boarded. When the crew did not alter course, she said three shots rang out, followed by a fourth that struck the hull inches from her. She reported seeing laser dots from sniper scopes above their heads. Ravalli said Israeli forces then destroyed the ship's engine and navigation systems, leaving the crew adrift without communications for about 12 hours before they were rescued by the Spanish NGO Open Arms.

Two other Canadians, Marie Tota and Umir Tiar, were detained during the same operation. They described being taken to a large Israeli ship where they were held for nearly two days in a makeshift compound of shipping containers topped with barbed wire. The...