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By VERONICA ANDREA SAUCHELLI and ANDREW WILKS<\/p>\n
ROME (AP) \u2014 Some of the activists detained while trying to reach Gaza by sea have returned to their home countries to describe mistreatment at the hands of Israeli guards, claims that Israel denies.<\/p>\n
Some 450 activists were arrested as Israeli forces intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla, a fleet of 42 boats seeking to break Israel\u2019s naval blockade of Gaza and deliver a symbolic amount of aid to the famine-stricken territory. Those detained between Wednesday and Friday were brought to Israel, where many remain in prison.<\/p>\n
The Israeli Foreign Ministry said it offered voluntary deportation to all of the activists and those that remain in detention chose to stay there in order to go through a legal deportation process.<\/p>\n
On his return at Rome\u2019s Fiumicino Airport late Saturday, Italian journalist Saverio Tommasi said Israeli soldiers withheld medicines and treated prisoners \u201clike monkeys.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe also saw Greta Thunberg at the port, in that case with her arms tied and an Israeli flag next to her, just a mockery,\u201d he said. \u201cLet\u2019s say the mockery was part of the verbal and psychological violence they always carried out, in order to demean, ridicule and laugh in situations where there is nothing to laugh about.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another Italian journalist, Lorenzo D\u2019Agostino, said detainees were repeatedly woken during the two nights he spent behind bars. They were also intimidated with dogs and by soldiers pointing the laser sights of their guns at prisoners \u201cto scare us,\u201d he said after landing at Istanbul Airport, where 137 activists from 13 countries arrived from Israel on Saturday.<\/p>\n
D\u2019Agostino added that his belongings and money had been \u201cstolen by the Israelis.\u201d<\/p>\n
Activist Paolo De Montis described being crammed into a prison van for hours with his hands secured by zip ties.<\/p>\n
\u201cConstant stress and humiliation,\u201d he said. \u201cYou weren\u2019t allowed to look them in the face, always had to keep your head down and when I did look up, a man \u2026 came and shook me and slapped me on the back of the head. They forced us to stay on our knees for four hours.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n