Australians are receiving medical treatment and showering for the first time in days, after being detained by Israeli forces while trying to sail aid into Gaza.
More than 400 people in a global flotilla - including 11 Australians - have been released after being intercepted by Israeli forces at gunpoint in international waters on Tuesday.
Australians on board the flotilla allege they were denied food and water and physically assaulted.
"Beyond all of that pain, there's a moral clarity here for all of us, which is our mission had pure intention to get food and aid unencumbered straight to Gaza," Australian activist Zack Schofield told AAP from Istanbul, where freed activists have been taken.
"We didn't succeed in that mission, but we succeeded in showing the world the depths to which Israel is willing to go to - and to brag about - to stop that from happening."
The broader delegation made a string of shocking allegations about their treatment while in detention, including broken limbs, sexual assaults, tasers to the face and being injected with unknown substances.
Israel has denied the allegations and said its blockade of Gaza remained lawful.
Melbourne flotilla participant Neve O'Connor said she was physically assaulted during her time in detention.
"My shoulders were almost dislocated, I was kneed in the face again, I was kneed in the stomach," she said after her release.
"I had my hands zip-tied behind my back for so long and it was so tight I almost started vomiting."
The delegation is speaking with lawyers about their experience. They want evidence collated to be used at the International Criminal Court to support abuse claims of Palestinians.
"The question being asked of our participants — why did they put themselves in that situation — is the wrong question," a statement from their lawyers read.
"The right question is why Israel is committing war crimes against unarmed civilians delivering food, and why the Australian government has not condemned it in the strongest possible terms."
A Foreign Affairs and Trade department spokesperson said consular officials had met with the Australians when they were released.
They said none needed medical attention, although the Australian delegation denies this and said members were treated for a number of conditions including concussion and dehydration.
Their release follows condemnation of Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who posted a video of himself taunting detainees while they knelt with their heads on the ground.
The "shocking" video prompted a public rebuke from Foreign Minister Penny Wong, who summoned Israel's ambassador to Australia Hillel Newman for an explanation.
Mr Newman said the activists were "certainly safe" and had access to consular officials while in detention.
Mr Schofield said he was metres from the woman who yelled "Free Palestine" which seemed to trigger the Israeli politician's taunts.
"His actions did such an excellent job of portraying the attitude of the Israeli state, and people are quite rightly just disgusted by that," he said.
"This is policy, it's not the political whims of some maniac far-right minister, it's the operation of the Israeli Defence Force."
The Foreign Affairs spokesperson said: "Australia has raised our concerns with Israeli authorities about the treatment of detainees and delays in providing consular access."
The activists will return to Australia in coming days.
All foreign activists from the PR flotilla have been deported from Israel.
— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) May 21, 2026
Israel will not permit any breach of the lawful naval blockade on Gaza.
Federal minister Tanya Plibersek said the actions of Israel's minister were shameful.
"It was absolutely disgraceful behaviour, and I'm very pleased to say the foreign minister has said in the strongest terms to the Israeli government," she said.
Greens senator Nick McKim said stronger actions were needed from the federal government.
"This demands the strongest possible response from our prime minister and our foreign minister, a far, far stronger response than they've delivered to date," he told ABC Radio.
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