Italian journalist Lorenzo Agostino has said he felt he was “in a really barbaric place” while being illegally detained by Israel in international waters after this week’s attack on the Global Sumud Flotilla vessels bound for Gaza, Al Jazeera reports.

Agostino said he and fellow passengers were kidnapped and subjected to “humiliating” conditions.

“They behaved like a terrorist group. We were left without fresh water for over two days. Overall, they took every opportunity to humiliate any of us,” Agostino told the Anadolu news agency.

He said they were subjected to blindfolding, tight handcuffs, inadequate clothing, and freezing temperatures in a highly air-conditioned van for hours.

“I had the feeling of being in a really barbaric place and I really hoped that this barbarism might be over soon,” he added.

Agostino described the arrival at Ashdod port as hostile, noting the presence of far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

“Ben-Gvir was outside the arrival place at Ashdod port when we arrived. And he was sort of like making sure that we were treated like terrorists because he thought we were terrorists,” he said.