Global Sumud Flotilla Accuses Israel of «Unfathomable Cruelty» as Activist Thiago Ávila Remains Imprisoned, Unaware of His Mother’s Death

Original article: Flotilla Global Sumud acusa a Israel de “crueldad insondable”: activista Thiago Ávila está preso, aislado y sin saber que murió su madre

The Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) has accused Israel of committing an act of «unfathomable cruelty» against Brazilian activist Thiago Ávila, who is currently imprisoned and isolated under the regime of Benjamin Netanyahu, without being informed of the death of his mother Teresa Regina de Ávila e Silva.

Since last Thursday, the human rights defender has been detained in Israel after being illegally seized in international waters while participating in the GSF, with the intention of breaking the criminal blockade against Gaza and delivering urgent humanitarian aid to the people of the besieged Palestinian enclave.

An Israeli court extended until Sunday, May 10, both the detention of Ávila and that of activist Saif Abu Keshek, whom the Zionist regime accuses of having ties to the Hamas movement, which they deny.

Thiago Ávila Denied the Right to Say Goodbye to His Mother

The organization stated that Teresa Regina de Ávila e Silva passed away in Brasília on the morning of Monday, May 5, while her son, held under conditions that the humanitarian mission describes as illegal, is isolated in a cell in an Israeli prison, «deprived of the most basic human right: the opportunity to say goodbye to his mother».

In a statement, the flotilla described Teresa as a woman of “admirable joy and strength,” capable of facing challenges with dignity and affection, and noted that while her family was by her side in her final moments, Thiago was forced to be absent, «even deprived of the opportunity to hear her voice one last time».

«The depth of this loss is woven into Thiago’s own life; his daughter bears his mother’s name, a living tribute to a woman that his wife, Lara, describes as «the most powerful person I’ve ever known.» This separation is a hallmark of the Israeli occupation that thrives on fracturing families,» stated the GSF, drawing a parallel with the case of Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University student and pro-Palestine activist who was arrested and spent three months detained in an immigration jail in Louisiana, thus missing the birth of his son «due to his activism against Israeli genocide in Gaza».

«Israel Uses Pain as Another Tool of Psychological Warfare»

One of the most heart-wrenching aspects of this case, the organization emphasized, is that Thiago Ávila is completely unaware of his mother’s death, «because he is held in isolation and deprived of contact with the outside world».

«He has been robbed of the opportunity to begin his mourning in the embrace of his community. Instead, this devastating news will likely be conveyed to him by the very soldiers of the Israeli occupation forces, who have subjected him to systematic abuse, using his pain as yet another tool of psychological warfare,» the text stated.

According to the flotilla, this situation is far from exceptional; it reflects a structural pattern, recalling that for almost 80 years, thousands of Palestinian families have endured the same kind of degradation and psychological warfare, with parents dying while their children are held in administrative detention without charges, or children growing up behind glass barriers in visitation rooms.

“The current suffering of Thiago is a window into a systemic protocol of degradation that has long sought to undermine the resilience of the Palestinian people. In supporting Thiago, we support all families devastated by this machinery of incarceration and injustice,” the group emphasized in the text.”

In its appeal to the international community, the Global Sumud Flotilla reminded that Thiago remains isolated, separated from the 179 participants who were recently seized by Israel in international waters and later released, demanding his release along with that of Saif Abu Keshek.

The organization supported the condemnation from Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who described the imprisonment of Thiago as “unjustifiable” and called for an independent international investigation into the violations of international law committed during this operation and against the Palestinian people in general.

«The international community must act to ensure that Thiago can return home to honor his mother with the dignity she instilled throughout her life,» concluded the flotilla.