SHEFFIELD, Mass.— Two Sheffield natives have been detained by Israeli forces while trying to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.

 

Last week, maritime professionals and brothers Adnaan and Tor Stumo were among the hundreds volunteering on the Global Sumund Flotilla to bring food and medical supplies to Gaza when they were intercepted by the Israeli Defense Forces. 

 

Their mother, Nadia Milleron, an aviation and consumer advocate who ran for Congress in 2024, is searching for answers about her sons while urging constituents and lawmakers to speak out against the actions of the IDF. 

 

Milleron said she last spoke to Tor on Tuesday and Adnaan on Wednesday. On Monday, personnel from the American Embassy told her they spoke to the Stumos in prison on Sunday, and one of the brothers had injuries to his hands and wrists from being tightly restrained. 

 

"Israel is detaining these people with no charges, and in fact, they haven't done anything wrong; that's why there are no charges, but you're only supposed to detain by international law and by Israeli law for 72 hours," she said on Monday. "Actually, they are not supposed to kidnap people at all from the ocean, and you're not supposed to bomb their boats or otherwise harm them when they're underway. ...

 

"So they violated a lot of laws." 

 

The flotilla that set out from Spain early last month had about 50 vessels with 500 activists and humanitarian aid. They were escorted part of the way by the Spanish and Italian navies. The Associated Press reported that more than 40 were still operating on Wednesday when they were intercepted. 

 

Milleron said Israel confiscated the boats and denied the existence of aid supplies, calling the country's actions "a war crime." 

 

"They blocked the humanitarian aid going to desperate people. They also just threw away that aid on the streets. Threw it away," she added. 

 

"And then the Israeli government claims that there was no aid. I personally helped to load boxes and boxes of baby formula onto these boats. We loaded a lot of food and medical supplies onto the boats." 

 

She explained that the flotilla was an effort to open up a humanitarian corridor and stop the blockage that is preventing Palestinians from accessing food and medical supplies. 

 

Milleron said Irish, Italian, and Turkish people have been released along with a couple of Americans, adding, "I don't know why the Americans are last. We fund Israel's existence as American taxpayers." 

 

In a video communication posted to social media on Saturday, she urged people to contact members of Congress and the Israeli embassies to show that the American people care. 

 

"On this mission, they were kidnapped by Israelis. Tor was kidnapped on the boat Hyuga on Wednesday. He is an engineer, ship's engineer, and he was taken directly to Israel, where he never wanted or intended to go," she said in the Instagram reel. 

 

"And my son, Adnaan, was kidnapped on a sailboat very close to Gaza on Thursday of this last week, and he was also taken to Israel, but we don't know anything about them. We don't know if they are OK." 

 

Along with the Stumos were climate activist Greta Thunberg, who was deported to Greece on Monday with 170 others, and Nelson Mandela's grandson Mandla Mandela. South Africa's president has demanded Mandela's release and the country's medical association has suspended its relationship with its Israeli counterpart. Some of those released claim they were abused and harassed while held in detention.

 

"My kids insist that countries behave in a humane manner toward all citizens, so that our world will be good for everybody to live in. And that's the type of people that they are, and that's the standard that they are looking for from everyone," Milleron said. 

 

She said Israel is accusing people who went through rigorous nonviolent training of being terrorists. Reportedly, flotilla volunteers threw away all knives and screwdrivers before being intercepted, so they did not appear violent. 

 

Milleron has called on U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey to address the detainment and Israel's actions.

 

The Massachusetts senators signed a letter in late September with Sens. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland and Jeffrey Merkley of Oregon urging Secretary of State Marco Rubio to demand the Netanyahu government refrain from "use of force against peaceful civilian vessels" and to ensure the humanitarian aid makes its way to Gaza. Rubio has not made a specific statement on the flotilla.