IN BRIEFEleven Australians were among 400 flotilla participants intercepted west of Cyprus last week.They have begun arriving back in Australia, with some alleging mistreatment by Israeli authorities.Australians who took part in a flotilla attempting to deliver aid to Gaza are landing back home after being released from detention in Israel.Eleven Australians were among 400 people detained by Israel last week in international waters west of Cyprus.Video live-streamed to the Global Sumud Festival's website showed black-clad soldiers boarding the vessels while angles later taken by other flotilla participants revealed abandoned vessels bobbing in the sea as Palestinian flags flew in the wind.Seven Australians are due to arrive in Sydney on Monday morning, while others will land in Melbourne and Brisbane.Violet Coco arrived at Melbourne airport on Monday morning. She alleged that she and other detainees were subjected to abuse while in Israeli custody.Coco told the ABC Israeli authorities "beat, tortured and sexually assaulted" activists detained during the flotilla operation.She also claimed detainees suffered dozens of fractures, head injuries and sexual assaults, while some people allegedly went without insulin and blood pressure medication for several days.Coco alleged she was pushed through a dark room, groped and repeatedly struck while in detention.Other activists made similar allegations, but Israeli authorities have dismissed them as false, with Israel's prison servies saying detainees were "held in accordance with the law".The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) also rejected claims of abuse in a statement to the ABC."IDF orders require respectful and appropriate treatment of flotilla participants on the intercepted vessels, and there are clear and established procedures in this regard," it said. "No specific incidents of deviation from these binding procedures are known within the IDF. Any concrete complaints submitted to the IDF on the matter will be examined thoroughly." Gemma O'Toole was the first of 11 Australian activists detained by Israel during the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla mission to return home on Sunday night. The 23-year-old student arrived at Melbourne Airport, where she was greeted by applause from friends and family.Speaking to the ABC, O'Toole said she was "relieved" to be back in Australia but described herself as "deeply sad and traumatised" following the ordeal. "It is going to take me a while to come to terms with what's happened and everything I have seen," she said.O’Toole alleged Israeli forces subjected activists to physical abuse and sexual violence while in detention.Surya McEwen, a dual diagnosis care worker from Mullumbimby in northern NSW is among those returning to Australia, after his third attempt to deliver aid via a flotilla.Surya McEwen was among Australians detained after the Gaza-bound flotilla was intercepted at sea. Source: AAP / Bianca De MarchiDuring his most recent detention, he was held for 80 hours and alleges he was beaten in a room while Israeli soldiers sang the national anthem.Other Australians on board the flotilla allege they were denied food and water and physically assaulted.McEwen likened the prison ships used by Israel to prisoner of war camps with nowhere to sleep, few toilets and platforms from which soldiers indiscriminately fired rubber bullets."We're all very tired, battered and bruised," he told AAP during a stopover before arriving in Sydney."I am physically hurting a bit but also have a strong resolve."While I was imprisoned, I thought of the thousands of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, hundreds among them children, and many being held without reason."Israel's foreign ministry has labelled the flotilla a "provocation for the sake of provocation" and has previously denied the participants' allegations of abuse.But members of the aid delegation are speaking with lawyers about their experience.They want evidence collated to be used at the International Criminal Court to support the abuse claims of Palestinians.While McEwen did not yet know what the next steps would be for the flotilla mission, he said the push for Palestinian liberation was stronger than ever."What we know about the human spirit is that when there is overwhelming horror happening for millions, like what has been happening in Gaza, it is part of the collective nature to find a way to intervene," he said."It's not that the dangers or the struggle of this movement makes it less likely for people to be involved. If anything, we have built more resolve to be stronger and more creative and thoughtful in the way we do this work."All that Israel has is violence but we have love, care, community and human solidarity ... [this movement] will definitely build and get stronger and the tactics will evolve."For the latest from SBS News, download our app and subscribe to our newsletter.