Dr Bianca Webb-Pullman. Photo: Screenshot / Global Movement to Gaza
The partner of a New Zealand woman detained in Israel after the flotilla she was on was intercepted says he has no idea when she will be released.
"It's a constant feeling of trepidation, you have no idea, there's no set date or anything like that," Stephen Rowe, of Raumati South, told RNZ.
His partner, Dr Bianca Webb-Pullman is New Zealand-born and holds a New Zealand passport. She has worked as a GP here and in Australia.
She was using an Australian passport when the flotilla attempting to carry aid to Gaza was intercepted and those on the boats detained.
Three other New Zealanders detained from the Global Sumud Flotilla - Rana Hamida, Youssef Sammour and Sam Leason are to be deported from Israel to Jordan on Wednesday, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters told Morning Report.
Israel deported Greta Thunberg and another 170 activists from the flotilla, sending them to Greece and Slovakia. Swiss and Spanish activists from the flotilla alleged mistreatment and inhumane conditions during their detention but Israel's Foreign Ministry said the claims were "complete lies", and detainees' legal rights had been upheld.
It means information is coming from Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) rather than New Zealand's equivalent, MFAT.
Rowe said DFAT told him Webb-Pullman had been physically assaulted and her medicine taken off her.
"And then later there's been no access to food or water for the first two days," he said.
Rowe said he was told the water in the prison was contaminated.
"So Bianca's actually become sick from that, some captives are basically deciding to drink that because they're just not getting fresh water, so they're taking their chances."
Rowe said Australian officials had been able to visit twice.
He said Webb-Pullman had now seen a lawyer and signed a deportation form, but he did not know when she would be deported or where to.
Rowe told RNZ those on the flotilla were trying to do what governments should be doing, getting in aid and "stopping this appalling situation".
"Their mission was really to shame the world into doing this ... and it's just appalling to be held in these degrading conditions where it's a bunch of humanitarian people from all around the world, including elderly people, and I think a lot of people are very angry at the lack of response from both the New Zealand and Australian governments in the sense of condemning their treatment," he said.
"To have no official condemnation of this treatment of your citizens is what's appalling, really."
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on Sunday, when speaking about the first three New Zealanders detained by Israel as part of the flotilla - Youssef Sammour, Rana Hamida and Samuel Leason - said New Zealand had strongly conveyed to Israel an expectation that their care is consistent with international law.
He reiterated his message for New Zealanders not to go to Gaza and has said this country had consistently called for the killing to stop on both sides of the conflict.
Stephen Rowe said the conditions Webb-Pullman was being held in were "absolutely terrible".
"One thing that is quite chilling is that she just mentioned in the last interview she did with DFAT that she can't stand hearing these screams of the other inmates being mistreated, and I think she means other Palestinian inmates ... it's absolutely beyond anything she could imagine."
Rowe said it was not clear where Webb-Pullman, who now has no bank card or phone, would be deported to but Jordan has been raised.
"So the next stage is to try to get her back from Jordan somehow."
The Israel Foreign Ministry said the "sole purpose" of the flotilla - which it called the "Hamas-Sumud" flotilla, using the name of the group which launched the 2023 attacks which sparked the current fighting - was "provocation".
MFAT told RNZ it generally provides consular services to New Zealand citizens who are travelling on their New Zealand passports.
It said it did not comment on individual cases for privacy reasons.
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