Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong on Thursday described as "horrific" sexual abuse allegations against Israeli forces made by Australian activists aboard the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla.
"My principled position is to always believe women when allegations of sexual assault are made," Wong said, reported the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
"Those allegations are terrible, they are horrific, the treatment is unacceptable," she added.
The Israeli army attacked the humanitarian flotilla in May in international waters. Live broadcasts from the flotilla showed Israeli naval forces intercepting each vessel.
Eleven Australians were among the activists detained by the Israeli army.
Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi described accounts by one of the activists, Juliet Lamont, "who said she was sexually assaulted, cable-tied and had so much water thrown in her face ... she thought she was going to drown."
"She says 'they wrenched my trousers and underwear down and I was raped by one of the soldiers' ... other people had guns inserted inside them," she said.
Faruqi also said that activist Neve O'Connor reported being sexually humiliated, while activist Violet Coco said that she had been sexually assaulted.
The senator asked Wong whether she believed the women, to which the foreign minister responded: "My view is that you should believe, and I believe, women who come forward with these assertions."
Wong added that the Australian government had raised concerns with Israel over the treatment of the Australians and Israel's refusal to grant them consular access despite international obligations.
Following the activists' detention, a video released by Israel showing National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir walking among detained activists who were kneeling in tightly packed formations with their hands zip-tied sparked widespread international backlash.
Ben-Gvir appears in the footage to wave an Israeli flag and taunt detainees.
All of the detained activists have since been released and deported.
