Israeli Court Extends Flotilla Activists Abu Keshek and Ávila Detention Until May 10; Both on Hunger Strike Without Charge

An Israeli court extended the detention of Spanish-Palestinian activist Saif Abu Keshek and Brazilian activist Thiago Ávila — detained since the Israeli interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla on April 29–30 — until May 10, 2026, over strenuous objections from their lawyers. The ruling came on May 5 and was confirmed by Haaretz on May 6. Both men remained on hunger strike, consuming only water. Abu Keshek, in a statement relayed by his legal team from Adalah (the Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel), reported being kept 'hand-tied and blindfolded, forced to lie face-down on the floor' throughout his initial detention period. Thiago Ávila reported isolation and blindfolding upon transfer to the Israel Prison Service facility. No formal charges had been filed against either man after nearly a week in custody. The Spain Ministry of Foreign Affairs formally protested the detention extension and summoned Israel's ambassador in Madrid. Brazil's Itamaraty (Foreign Ministry) reiterated its demand for immediate consular access, which Israel had not yet fully granted. Amnesty International called the continued detention 'politically motivated collective punishment for the act of challenging the blockade.' The flotilla's two remaining vessels — the Sumud and the Greenpeace Arctic Sunrise — remained in Israeli custody at Ashdod Port.