Saif Abu Keshek

Saif Abu Keshek (Arabic: سيف أبو كشك) is a Palestinian-Spanish activist who campaigns against the Palestinian genocide in Gaza.[1] He is a member of the Palestinian Community of Catalonia, the Intersindical Alternativa de Catalunya and the European Network of Trade Unions for Justice in Palestine.[2][3]

Early life

Born in the Askar refugee camp (West Bank),[2] he arrived in Spain around 2003, and in the 2020s settled in Barcelona, together with his wife and three children. Since he married his wife Sally Issa in Sweden, he has triple nationality: Palestinian, Spanish and Swedish.[3] He works for a multinational company.[4]

Activism

While in Palestine, he took part in the student movement and later in the international solidarity movement. Once he arrived in Spain, he continued to mobilize from the diaspora and joined the Palestinian Community of Catalonia and the Intersindical Alternativa de Catalunya as secretary of international relations.[5][2][3] As a result of this position, he is coordinator of the European Network of Trade Unions for Justice in Palestine, and had relations with the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad (PCPE) until resignation in October 2025.[4][6][7]

In 2025, as coordinator of the International Coalition Against the Israeli Occupation, he organized the Global March to Gaza, which aimed to be a walking march to Rafah.[8] However, in Egypt he was detained and tortured for three days, and had to return to Catalonia.[1][4] The same year, he was part of the steering committee of the Global Sumud Flotilla, along with figures such as Greta Thunberg, Nadir Al-Nuri and Kleoniki Alexopoulou.[9] He abandoned the trip on an Italian coast as a precaution.[10] As director of the Cyber Neptune shell shipping company, he managed the acquisition of the ships that were part of the expedition.[11][12][13]

The Global Sumud Flotilla sets sail on April 12, 2026 in Barcelona.

Similarly, in 2026 he boarded the second Global Sumud Flotilla,[3] in the capacity of an observer, with the intention of providing logistical support to the operation and disembarking again before reaching Israeli waters.[14] However, Israeli authorities intercepted the ships near Crete, and detained him along with Thiago Ávila to be taken to Israel. Both reported torture and ill-treatment while in the custody of Israeli forces, and went on a hunger strike in protest until they were released.[15] In response to the kidnapping, a demonstration was organized with nearly 2,000 attendees in front of the European Parliament Office in Barcelona, on Passeig de Gràcia in Barcelona.[16] The two detainees were moved on a pre-trial basis to Shikma Prison in Ashkelon, legally assisted by Adalah and accused of collaborating with Hamas due to their links to the PCPE.[10][16] Their detention was subsequently extended by a further six days.[17]

On May 10, both Saif Abu Keshek and Thiago Ávila were released and deported from Israel. The Spanish Foreign Minister, José Manuel Albares, confirmed the release of the Spanish activist and stated that he "is now flying freely back to Spain."[18]

References

  1. 1 2 Castilla, Pablo (2025-06-30). "Saïf Abu Keshek: "L'ambaixada sabia que estava detingut en un centre on es practica la tortura i no va voler personar-se per intercedir"" [Saïf Abu Keshek: "The embassy knew he was being held in a torture center and did not want to come forward to intercede"]. Esquerra Diari. Retrieved 3 May 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 "Saif Abu Keshek". ésAdir. CCMA. Retrieved 3 May 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Calatayud, Ketty (2026-05-02). "Qui és Saif Abu Keshek, l'activista barceloní detingut per Israel que ha començat una vaga de fam?" [Who is Saif Abu Keshek, the Barcelona activist detained by Israel who has begun a hunger strike?]. El Nacional. Retrieved 3 May 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 "توتر دبلوماسي جديد بين إسبانيا وإسرائيل: مدريد تطالب بالإفراج عن مواطنها سيف أبو كشك" [New diplomatic tension between Spain and Israel: Madrid demands the release of its citizen Saif Abu Kishk]. 2026-05-01. Retrieved 3 May 2026.
  5. ↑ Falcó, Ona (2025-08-25). "Saif Abu Keshek, activista palestino: "La flotilla a Gaza es un acto de denuncia contra la complicidad con Israel y contra la ocupación de Palestina"" [Saif Abu Keshek, Palestinian activist: "The flotilla in Gaza is an act of denunciation against complicity with Israel and against the occupation of Palestine"]. Público (in Catalan). Retrieved 3 May 2026.
  6. ↑ "Acte contra el genocidi a Palestina" [Act against the genocide in Palestine]. Cerdanyola Info. 2023-10-03. Retrieved 3 May 2026.
  7. ↑ Magee, Caolán. "US imposes sanctions on Gaza flotilla organisers: Why it matters". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2026-06-02.
  8. ↑ Khaled, Fadila (2025-06-07). "Marching to Gaza: A convergence of conscience by land and sea". Al-Ahram. Retrieved 3 May 2026.
  9. ↑ "The Global Sumud Flotilla to Gaza: Everything you need to know". Al Jazeera. 2025-08-31. Retrieved 3 May 2026.
  10. 1 2 "L'espanyol detingut a la Flotilla inicia una vaga de fam" [The Spaniard arrested in the Flotilla starts a hunger strike]. El Periódico. 2026-05-03. Retrieved 3 May 2026.
  11. ↑ "«المحامي عماد عيساوي يكتب حول الفلسطيني سيف أبو كشك»" [Hami Imad Issawi writes about the Palestinian Saif Abu Kishek.]. Tunisie Telegraph. 2026-03-07. Retrieved 3 May 2026.
  12. ↑ Goldestein, Julio (2025-10-03). "Cyber Neptune: un desafío oculto a la seguridad de España y Europa" [Cyber Neptune: a hidden challenge to the security of Spain and Europe]. El Diario de Madrid (in Spanish). Retrieved 3 May 2026.
  13. ↑ Genovese, Vincenzo (30 September 2025). "Gaza-bound flotilla rejects Israeli claims of Hamas funding". Yahoo News. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  14. ↑ Cordero, Dani (2026-05-01). "¿Quién es Saif Abu Keshek, el español detenido por Israel tras el asalto a la flotilla de ayuda a Gaza?" [Who is Saif Abu Keshek, the Spaniard detained by Israel after the assault on the aid flotilla in Gaza?]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 3 May 2026.
  15. ↑ "Els dos activistes de la flotilla retinguts a Israel denuncien tortures i inicien una vaga de fam" [The two flotilla activists detained in Israel denounce torture and begin a hunger strike]. 3CatInfo. CCMA. 2026-05-02. Retrieved 3 May 2026.
  16. 1 2 Alexandre, Albert (3 May 2026). "Els portaveus segrestats de la flotilla Saïf Abu Keshek i Thiago Ávila arriben a Israel" [Kidnapped flotilla spokesmen Saïf Abu Keshek and Thiago Ávila arrive in Israel]. Directa. Retrieved 3 May 2026.
  17. ↑ "Israeli court extends detention of two Gaza flotilla activists". BBC News. 5 May 2026. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
  18. ↑ "Albares confirma que el activista español Saif Abukeshek de la flotilla a Gaza "vuela ya libre hacia España"" [Albares confirms that Spanish activist Saif Abukeshek, from the flotilla to Gaza, "is now flying freely back to Spain."]. Europa Press (in Spanish). 10 May 2026. Retrieved 10 May 2026.
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