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Who is Noa Avishag Schnall? US-born journalist details ‘abuse and rape threats’ in Israeli detention
Noa Avishag Schnall accuses Israeli guards of extreme brutality against her and fellow activists during their detention.
US-born photojournalist Noa Avishag Schnall, who was arrested on an aid flotilla headed for Gaza, accused Israeli jail guards of "extreme brutality," including physical assault and threats of rape.
As a member of the Global Sumud Flotilla, Schnall was on board the ship Conscience when Israeli soldiers detained it early last Wednesday morning. Schnall had been working for independent publication Drop Site News.
In a video shared online, she claimed to have been victimized by "inhumane treatment," strip searched several times, and violently held in international waters.
“Our boat was attacked around 5 a.m.,” Schnall stated in the video, appearing with a black eye and evident bruises. She claimed the “brutality” started right away.
“I was hung from the metal shackles on my wrists and ankles and beaten on my stomach, back, face, ear, and skull by a group of men and women guards, one of whom sat on my neck and face, blocking my airways.”
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Here's what Schnall stated in the video
Schnall alleges that she and the other 150 activists on the flotilla were treated inhumanely following their detention. She claimed that inmates were handcuffed, blindfolded, and made to lie in stressful positions with zip-ties placed into their arms.
“At least one woman has reported being physically penetrated by guards who laughed at her pain. Others, including myself, endured threats of rape, beatings, and suffocation,” she claimed.
Schnall further detailed the frequent denials of fundamental rights including access to water and healthcare, as well as the systematic stealing of individuals' property during searches.
Many of the deported activists who landed in Istanbul this past weekend revealed similar encounters. “They put us on our knees, facing down. And if we moved, they hit us,” regional councillor Paolo Romano of Italy stated, alleging that they hit and insulted them.
Trump warns Hamas
In a statement on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump said that the recently signed peace deal would force Hamas to give up its weapons and threatened to take action if they didn't. "They're going to disarm, because they said they were going to disarm," Trump declared. “And if they don't disarm, we will disarm them. They know I'm not playing games.”
Disclaimer: The story is based on claims made by Noa Avishag Schnall and HT.com cannot independently verified her allegations against Israeli Guards.
