Australians Detained Aboard Gaza-Bound Aid Boat Handala Have Arrived Home To Sydney
Image: gazafreedomflotilla/Instagram
Queer journalist Tania “Tan” Safi and human rights activist Robert Martin have arrived home in Sydney after being detained by Israeli forces along with the rest of the passengers on the Gaza‑bound aid vessel Handala.
The Handala was intercepted in international waters and transported to Israel, where they were held for several days before being deported.
Both Safi and Martin were among 21 people aboard the Freedom Flotilla Coalition vessel attempting to deliver essential aid — including baby formula, food and medicine — to Palestinians in Gaza.
The airport arrival of the pair was met with cheers and chants of “Free Palestine”.
‘Brutalised psychologically’, say Safi and Martin
At a press briefing upon landing at Sydney International Airport, Martin and Safi described their experience in detention as deeply traumatic.
In Safi’s own words, they had been “brutalised psychologically in every way” during their time in Israeli custody, leaving them “confused, dehydrated and exhausted”.
“All we were doing was trying to bring some food, some medicine, some prosthetics to children who are being starved to death by Israel,” said Safi, speaking to media at the airport upon arriving in Australia.
Safi also alleged they were screamed at in Hebrew and handcuffed, only for the officers to “grab the handcuffs and throw me against the wall”.
“I woke to what sounded like a Palestinian man howling and screaming and crying in pain, and whatever happens to us is absolutely just going to be like this smaller sliver of what happens to Palestinians in these prisons,” Safi said.
“They pulled me out, threw me down on the floor, and they made me take off all my clothes,” Safi said, showing media still visible bruises.
Safi also said that the Handala passengers collectively chose to go on a hunger and water strike in detention, but they were only ever offered food once – a small tomato.
Martin told media that Israeli officers withheld the belongings of the Handala crew — which included essential medication — and their requests for legal representation were repeatedly denied. Eventually, they were given one legal visit from lawyers from Adalah, which is an Israeli legal support organisation in Israel.
Legal challenge over Israel’s detention of Gaza flotilla activists
Lawyers with Israel‑based legal group Adalah argued their detention was illegal, stating that the interception occurred in international waters and that international law obliges Israel to allow humanitarian aid to reach Gaza—a position supported by a January 2024 International Court of Justice ruling.
Adalah released a statement on July 31, saying their legal team “remains committed to protecting the rights of volunteers engaged in these missions, in the face of Israel’s ongoing illegal policies and practices”.
“The initiative to break the illegal blockade of Gaza rests firmly on international law and human rights,” reads the statement. “Israel’s interception of the Handala in international waters and the detention of volunteers aboard not only violated these legal protections but also perpetuated the ongoing illegal siege, which continues to impose deliberate starvation on Palestinians amid Israel’s 22-month-long genocidal assault.”
Israel defends naval blockade of Gaza as legal
The Israeli government maintained that its naval blockade of Gaza is lawful, and characterised flotilla missions such as the Handala as dangerous and unauthorised breaches of the maritime zone near Gaza.
