'Please bring dad home': UK family pleads for release of flotilla activist held in Israel

The family of British Global Sumud Flotilla activist Malcolm Ducker say they are deeply concerned about his health and the conditions in which he is being held in Israel, after naval forces intercepted Gaza-bound vessels earlier this week and detained hundreds of activists on board.

Speaking to The New Arab, Ducker’s daughter, Clare Azzougarh, condemned Israeli authorities for arresting her father and subjecting him to harsh treatment.

"[My dad] was on a humanitarian mission, not breaking any laws. He was in international waters; the Israeli government doesn’t own the sea. My dad was trying to do what other governments won’t do - provide water and food for Gaza. It’s a UN-protected mission."

Azzougarh said her father’s medication, which he needs after recently recovering from cancer, has been confiscated, while he is also being deprived of clean water and adequate food.

She said Israeli prison authorities were using abusive tactics against the detainees, citing information relayed by Sumud's British delegation. Activists are being woken deliberately every two to three hours with barking dogs and are being held in maximum security prisons.

Ducker, a 72-year-old former RAF pilot, is considered especially vulnerable.

"It's one thing to detain them, but it's another thing to be put in horrible conditions. I have no words," she told The New Arab via telephone.

Communication with the family has been limited. Ducker was detained on Thursday and the family has only had indirect updates from the UK Home Office, which Azzougarh criticised for "only taking information and nothing else." He has not been heard from directly since.

The family has been relying on updates passed on by Sumud’s British delegation about prison conditions, which Azzougarh said even criminals "don't deserve to be" in.

No response from UK government

The Ducker family are anxiously waiting to see if their father will be released by Sunday night, or at least Monday morning, after he signed an order consenting to deportation within 72 hours of being in Israeli custody.

Azzougarh, who lives abroad, has flown to the UK to support her family. She said they have been pressing the UK government, especially the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), but have had no results.

She accused the FCDO of failing to take seriously Israel’s ongoing detention of the Sumud crew, wrongly assuming the case was similar to that of the Madleen and Handala activists who were quickly released.

She suggested the muted UK response could be linked to US President Donald Trump’s Gaza plan, saying London does not want to "upset" Washington.

"He wasn’t breaking any laws," his daughter stressed again. "He shouldn’t be treated like this. It’s outrageous that he’s been abandoned by his government."

Azzougarh added that the FCDO was prioritising bureaucracy instead of exerting political pressure. She urged Britain to act like Turkey, which secured the release of its citizens and others detained.

She also criticised Downing Street for failing to consider her father’s service record as a former RAF pilot.

Despite the UK government’s apathetic response, the Ducker family has praised Tunbridge Wells’ local MP, Mike Martin, for pressing for their case.

Azzougarh explains that he detention of the Sumud activists and Israel’s behaviour feels more sinister than usual.

"Everything is up in the air, nothing is certain, Israel is not abiding by anything. This is different. You have characters like [National Security Minister] Itamar Ben-Gvir, who’s in charge of these prisons, taunting detainees. It’s outrageous that a minister behaves this way," Azzougarh added.

"Israel is acting like a rogue and a lawless state." She said Ben-Gvir, a notorious far-right politician and a staunch advocate of the continuation of the war in Gaza, wants the detainees to "serve long prison terms."

According to Azzougarh, Sumud activists face three options. They can sign a paper admitting they entered Israel illegally, which could complicate future travel and visas. They can request deportation within 72 hours, which Ducker chose. Or they can refuse the process altogether, which usually means appearing in court and being deported after 96 hours.

'Please get my dad home'

Ducker set sail from Barcelona on 31 August aboard the 'All In' vessel. His daughter explained to The New Arab that he had joined the flotilla because he was devastated by reports of famine in Gaza and especially moved by the suffering of children.

He wanted to put his sailing skills to good use and decided to apply to be part of the Sumud Flotilla. She said the mission was "the honour of his life".

Ducker’s family are now pleading with the UK government to intervene.

"Even if you don’t agree with the mission, please just do your jobs, get my dad home; he doesn’t deserve to be subject to degrading treatment. It’s your duty."

The family has hired a lawyer in case the UK government does not act, and the Israel-based NGO Adalah was seeking a permit to visit detainees.

Despite their ordeal, the family said Ducker's suffering was "a hundredth" of what Palestinians endure daily. 

More than 440 Palestinians have died in Gaza due to famine and malnutrition over the course of the war, with the figures expected to be higher.