An Israeli court has approved a two-day extension to the detention of two activists from a Gaza-bound flotilla who were brought to Israel for questioning, a rights group representing them said.
"The court extended their detention by two days," said Miriam Azem, international advocacy coordinator at the rights group Adalah on Sunday.
Israeli authorities had asked to extend their detention by four days, Azem said.
The Global Sumud humanitarian aid flotilla set sail in April from the Italian island of Sicily, with 58 vessels aiming to break Israel’s years-long blockade of Gaza.
Israeli forces halted the boats overnight from Wednesday to Thursday, detaining activists and seizing vessels in international waters.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry said 175 activists were detained after more than 20 vessels were seized in international waters, while flotilla organisers said 211 activists had been “kidnapped”.
Organisers also said that the equipment on board had been smashed during the interception, leaving them facing a 'calculated death trap at sea'.
Earlier on Thursday, the flotilla reported being attacked near the Greek island of Crete, roughly 600 nautical miles from Gaza.
Spanish national Saif Abu Keshek and Brazilian Thiago Avila appeared before a court in Ashkelon on Sunday.
On Saturday, Adalah said its lawyers had met the two detained activists at Shikma Prison in Ashkelon.
Avila told the lawyers he had been "subjected to extreme brutality" when the vessels were seized, adding that he was "dragged face-down across the floor and beaten so severely that he passed out twice".
Since arriving in Israel, he said he had been "kept in isolation and blindfolded", according to Adalah.
Abu Keshek was also "hand-tied and blindfolded and forced to lie face-down on the floor from the moment of his seizure" until reaching Israel, the group said.
Israel has imposed a crippling blockade on Gaza since 2007, leaving the territory’s 2.4 million people on the verge of starvation. Israel controls all entry points to Gaza.
Since October 2023, Israel’s Gaza genocide has killed more than 72,000 people and wounded over 172,000, while causing widespread destruction across the enclave.
In the summer and autumn of 2025, a first voyage by the Global Sumud Flotilla across the Mediterranean towards Gaza drew worldwide attention. The boats in that flotilla were intercepted by Israel off the coasts of Egypt and Gaza in early October.
