The Malaysian government is gathering evidence to take Israel to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over its treatment of Gaza aid flotilla activists, who say they were sexually assaulted and severely beaten, among other forms of torture.

The Malaysian government is gathering evidence to take Israel to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over its treatment of Gaza aid flotilla activists, who say they were sexually assaulted and severely beaten, among other forms of torture.

Amirudin Shari, chief minister of the state of Selangor, made the announcement while welcoming Malaysian flotilla activists home at Kuala Lumpur airport after they were freed from Israeli detention.

“They were kidnapped more than once, they were tortured,” Amirudin said, according to the Malay Mail. A legal team is gathering “documentation on violations of international law”, he said.

“We will not remain silent, we will not stop,” he added.

Earlier this month Israel kidnapped 428 flotilla activists sailing on boats attempting to bring aid to besieged people in Gaza.

​Israel’s national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, later released footage of the detainees being brutalised by guards as he visited the detention facility.

​Malaysia’s foreign ministry said on Monday that 29 of its citizens were freed from Israeli captivity on 21 May.

​Released captives from various countries showed visible injuries and were treated by medics in Turkey last week. They said Israeli guards raped or sexually assaulted at least 15 people, tasered people in the face, severely beat people and aimed guns at people’s heads.

Organisers from the Global Sumud Flotilla said on Monday that some former captives are still in hospital with “severe” injuries.

Arno Meys, who captained one of the boats, is being treated for a punctured lung, they said. Others have suffered broken bones and internal bleeding, they added.

​”I don’t think there’s a single person without some kind of injury,” said Catríona Graham, a participant who was assaulted on camera after she shouted “free, free Palestine” during Ben-Gvir’s visit.

Israel has continued to kill civilians in Gaza on a regular basis despite agreeing to a so-called ceasefire last year. It has also imposed severe restrictions on shelter, food and medicine entering the strip, contributing to the spread of disease.

​The UN’s relief agency for displaced Palestinians, UNRWA, says its teams have seen increasing rates of infections “such as scabies, as well as rodent bites, chickenpox cases, and acute watery diarrhoea among both children under five years and individuals above five years”.

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