The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) allegedly beat American activist Chris Smalls after being detained since July 26, following their interception of the Handala Freedom Flotilla headed toward the Gaza Strip. 

Smalls was among 22 international activists aboard the vessel when it was seized in international waters.

According to a statement from the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) on X, Smalls was subjected to severe physical assaults while in IDF custody. The group alleged that seven uniformed individuals “choked him and kicked him in the legs, leaving visible signs of violence on his neck and back.”

The FFC said in another statement that Smalls and other detainees attended hearings on Monday, July 28, and some—including other U.S. nationals—were expected to be deported within hours thereafter.

Smalls is a prominent human rights advocate and the former president of the Amazon Labor Union, known for leading efforts to unionize Amazon warehouse workers in the U.S. 

The FFC and other human rights organizations like the People’s Forum have condemned the treatment of Smalls and called for “his immediate release from Israel’s brutal occupation forces.”

In a video shared by BreakThroughNews, Smalls was seen being greeted by a crowd of supporters on Friday at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City upon his return to the U.S.

"I got a glimpse of what Palestinians go through, and it's nothing compared to what they go through every day," Smalls said, according to The New Arab.

The U.S. State Department has not yet issued a public statement regarding the incident.

However, some American lawmakers such as Rep. Summer Lee (D-Pennsylvania, condemned his alleged torture.

“Chris Smalls — a Black American labor leader — was trying to feed Palestinians being starved in Gaza. The IDF detained and beat him for it,” she said on Tuesday.