BRUSSELS

The office of Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament of Palestinian origin who took part in the Global Sumud Flotilla, criticized on Monday France’s silence over Israel’s attack on the flotilla and the detention of its passengers.

In a written statement to Anadolu, Hassan’s press office said 30 French citizens, including herself, who were “illegally detained” by Israeli authorities, had been released.

The statement noted that France’s silence on the incident was “striking.”

It said Hassan and hundreds of other flotilla participants were held by Israeli forces for three days as they sailed toward Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid.

The detention took place in international waters, it said, and it was a "clear violation of international and maritime law."

According to the statement, testimonies from released participants include “disturbing accounts” of mistreatment by Israeli authorities at Ketziot Prison.

Detainees were allegedly deprived of food and sleep, denied access to their medication, and prevented from drinking clean water.

It was also alleged that Israeli forces “dragged Greta Thunberg by her hair, beat her, and forced her to kiss the Israeli flag.”

The statement further said participants’ right to defense was violated, as nearly 200 hearings were held overnight between Oct. 2 and 3 without notice to lawyers and in the absence of the flotilla’s legal representatives.

Calling the developments “deeply alarming,” Hassan’s office said French authorities refused to contact the lawyers representing their citizens and had yet to issue any official condemnation of the incident.

“This silence, which amounts to complicity, raises a fundamental question: Does France still defend its citizens who stand up for justice and international law?” the statement said.

While describing the release of the detainees as a “victory,” the office emphasized that it should not overshadow the ongoing “genocide in Gaza” or the flotilla’s humanitarian mission to “break Israel’s illegal blockade.”

The statement concluded with a call on France to impose sanctions on Israel for its “crimes” and to completely halt arms sales to the country until the genocide and illegal blockade in Gaza come to an end.