THE mother of a Hunter protester believed to be in Israeli custody said her worst fears were realised when footage of prisoners in the Middle Eastern nation being degraded in detention emerged.
Joanne Jaworowski, the mother of Hunter protester Zack Schofield, spoke out after Israel's far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, posted clips showing him taunting activists detained from the Global Sumud Flotilla to his governmental social media on Wednesday night.
Ms Jaworowski's son Zack was apprehended on the flotilla for the second time in a month this week.
The images show the unidentified detainees with hands bound in zip ties and their faces down, held on their knees in prone stress positions as Mr Ben-Gvir waves an Israeli flag over them.
"Welcome to Israel," he posted.
The videos have sparked a diplomatic crisis, prompting condemnation from governments across the globe including Australia, as the families of Australians involved plead for information of the safety and whereabouts of the participants.
Ms Jaworowski said in a statement addressed to Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong on Thursday that she feared for the safety of her son and other Australians who were believed to be staging a hunger strike while in detention.
"Exactly as I feared, Australia's lack of a public response to the outrage of Israel illegally detaining our citizens on international waters on April 29 has emboldened Israel to treat these Australians hostages even worse than they did before," she said.
Mr Schofield and 11 other Australians were believed to be among those in custody, but they have been out of contact since Monday.
Senator Wong has summoned Israel's ambassador to explain the footage.
"The images we have seen posted by Israeli Minister Ben-Gvir - who Australia has sanctioned - are shocking and unacceptable," she posted on social media.
"We condemn his actions and the degrading actions of Israeli authorities towards those detained."
The rights group Adalah, acting as the legal representative for detained activists, has claimed Israel was "employing a criminal policy of abuse and humiliation against activists".
Ms Jaworowski denounced Israel's conduct as "vile" on Thursday and criticised the federal government for failing to do more to ensure the activists' safety.
"This vile conduct toward my son and all the unarmed humanitarian aid workers is unbearable to watch. How can Australia call Israel an ally?" she said.
"Our federal government needs to assert its sovereignty and protect Australians from the dangerous and monstrous conduct of Israel."
Lawyers for the group said they had evidence of dozens of activists with suspected broken ribs, as well as indications they had been tased as well as suffering injuries consistent with the impact of less-lethal projectiles fired during the on-water interception of the fleet earlier this week.
"In addition to this physical abuse, the participants were subjected to severe degradation and sexual harassment and humiliation. Further, several women participants had their hijabs ripped off by Israeli authorities," a spokesperson for the group claimed.
Activists were expected to face a tribunal pending deportation before the weekend.
More than 400 protesters were detained by Israel's naval forces this week, and taken in custody to that country where its Foreign Ministry said they would meet with the protesters' consular representatives.
Organisers of the fleet, which sailed from Italy late last month with the intention of breaking Israel's blockade of Gaza to deliver food, medicine and humanitarian aid to the region, had engaged human rights lawyer Bernadette Zaydan who is acting for the Australians on board
"Australian families are still in the dark, no confirmation on their loved ones' welfare, any injuries they may have sustained following the horrific footage released by the Israeli military overnight, or even where they might be deported to," she said.
"While consular officials from other countries appear to have information at hand, Australian families are left relying on foreign lawyers for updates."
Senator Wong has told the Department of Foreign Affairs to call in Israel's ambassador to Australia, Hillel Newman, to reinforce her message.
Dr Newman is expected to meet with departmental officials on Thursday after Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar condemned their colleague's actions as "not in line with Israel's values".
Mr Schofield and the other Australians on board the fleet fell out of contact earlier this week as footage emerged of their vessels being intercepted by military forces.
The most recent images published by Ben-Gvir appear to have been captured in the port of Ashdod, prompting fears from protest organisers that the detainees may be sent to Ktzi'ot Prison, a military detention facility where human rights organisations have consistently claimed conditions are harsh and degrading.
Surya McEwen, a Northern Rivers activist believed among the 11 Australians currently being held by Israel, had been detained in Ktzi'ot on 2025, when the Global Sumud Flotilla last attempted its voyage to Gaza.
After his release last year, he described being held in a cell with 12 other detainees, where he was subjected to sleep deprivation, intimidation and degrading treatment, including claiming his shoulder was dislocated after being captured.
Australia's ambassador to Israel, Neil Hawkins, had made representations to that country's government, Senator Wong said on Thursday, calling for the release of Australian prisoners and to have assurances that they would not suffer ill treatment.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade reiterated its warning not to travel to the Middle East on Wednesday, and said officers were preparing to visit the prisoners as soon as possible.
'Australian officials continue to make clear to Israel our expectation that any detainees receive humane treatment in line with international norms," a department spokesperson said.
- with reporting by AAP
