Montreal activist Nimâ Machouf detained aboard Gaza-bound humanitarian flotilla describes violence during imprisonment

Montreal activist and doctor Nimâ Machouf, who was aboard the Sumud global humanitarian flotilla bound for Gaza, says she endured what she describes as psychological torture after being detained by Israeli forces.

She’s now urging the federal government to take a stronger stance and pressure Israel to respect the Gaza ceasefire and allow the full humanitarian aid in.

“Now we face a genocide in Gaza, so we had the duty to do it,” Machouf said.

“Our government didn’t act and let it happen, now the population has to act,” she added.

The ship, called The Conscience, was intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters earlier this month. Machouf says the crew, made up of activists and journalists from around the world, was met with violence and intimidation.

“They acted with us as if we were an army of enemies,” Machouf said.

She said she and others were kidnapped and treated violently during the raid, and explains that Israeli commandos surrounded the ship – who intercepted the boat from both air and sea.

“They put us on the knees on the asphalt of the port for two, three hours and we were not allowed to move. Then we went in,” she said.

Machouf says she was held in a prison in the Negev desert under harsh conditions, facing what she describes as psychological pressure and constant threats.

“They came with their guns,” she said, “and they said that they are going to send us tear gas — that they were going to gas us.”

“They (would threaten) us to shock us with tasers for nothing, for just asking questions,” she added.

Machouf is now calling on Prime Minister Mark Carney to hold Israel accountable for what she describes as violations of international law and to push for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

This comes after Israel accused Hamas on Thursday of breaking the latest truce agreement and announced it would cut humanitarian aid deliveries into Gaza by half.

“We could not (have been) attacked if our government, our Canadian government,” Machouf said, “acted to make pressure to Israel to prevent the attack of Israel over our humanitarian boat.”

-With files from Ayham Salman, OMNI News