WASHINGTON 

US citizens who were detained by Israel while on board the Global Sumud Flotilla earlier this month gathered outside the US State Department on Thursday, urging an end to military assistance to Tel Aviv and demanding accountability.

The 10 Americans said their humanitarian mission, which sought to break Israel's siege of Gaza and deliver food and medical supplies to the enclave, was legal under international law but was violently intercepted by Israel on Oct. 1.

Tor Stumo, one of the activists, said he “did not feel like a US citizen in Israel,” despite the close alliance between the two countries.

“As soon as I stepped foot off that boat, I was beaten, punched in the stomach, and clubbed on the back of the neck. I was handcuffed so tightly I passed out,” he said. “The Israelis have nothing but contempt for humanitarian activists and US citizens and our government.”

Marine veteran Jessica Clotfelter said she joined the flotilla out of moral conviction. “Veterans take an oath to protect our country from all enemies, foreign and domestic,” she said, pointing to the State Department building behind her.

Appealing to law enforcement officers present, she urged them to “come back to humanity” and reject US policies enabling Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.

Stephen Wahab, a Palestinian American whose family fled in 1948, said the flotilla managed to temporarily disrupt Israel’s blockade. “We tied up the Israeli Navy to a point where they couldn’t patrol Gaza, and the fishermen were able to feed their families. That’s beautiful,” he said, adding that global solidarity movements are growing.  

'Children die at our hands'

Antony Aguilar, a former contractor turned US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation whistleblower, condemned Washington for continuing to militarily fund Israel despite a prolonged government shutdown.

“Tomorrow makes day 17, and it'll be the third-longest in history, soon to be the second, and then the longest. So, congratulations to our effective government, who shuts down our government, but we still pay $3.8 billion so Israel can continue to bomb Gaza,” he said. “Every day, children die at our hands, all of us who pay taxes.”

The activists said they plan to meet members of Congress and human rights advocates this week to push for legislation to halt US arms transfers to Israel and protect Americans abroad.

Israel, as the occupying power, has previously attacked several Gaza-bound ships, seized their cargo and deported activists on board.

It has maintained a blockade on Gaza, home to nearly 2.4 million people, for nearly 18 years and tightened the siege in March when it closed border crossings and blocked food and medicine deliveries, pushing the enclave into famine.

Since October 2023, Israeli attacks have killed more than 67,000 Palestinians in the enclave, most of them women and children, and rendered it uninhabitable. A ceasefire to end two years of Israeli bombardment on the enclave was set last Thursday.