Teresa Regina de Avila e Silva, the mother of detained Brazilian Gaza flotilla activist Thiago Avila, has passed away in Brasilia while her son remains in Israeli custody after being seized in international waters. She was 63.
Social media posts by Avila’s team said he had not yet learned of his mother’s death because of his detention. Supporters described the situation as “heartbreaking” and renewed calls for the immediate release of Avila and fellow activist Saif Abu Keshek.
The Global Sumud Flotilla said Teresa Regina died on Tuesday morning, May 5, after years of serious illness. In a tribute, organisers described her as a woman of “remarkable joy and great strength”, adding that Avila’s two-year-old daughter was named after her.
Avila also shared an emotional letter from prison addressed to his daughter, Teresa, before news of his mother’s death emerged.
In the message posted on Facebook account, the detained activist apologised for not being home with his child and defended his involvement in the Gaza flotilla mission.
“Today over a million children are suffering a genocide, being starved to death, being amputated without anesthesia,” he wrote, adding that Palestinian parents “would give anything to live a life of love, happiness, and joy that every human being deserves”.
Ávila said he hoped his daughter would one day understand “that because I love you so much there was nothing more dangerous for you and for other children than living in a world that accepts genocide”.
He also asked her to remember him “as the person that would sing to you and play the guitar for you to sleep”.
The letter concluded with the words, “Please do not forget Palestine! With all my love, Thiago Avila.”
The flotilla’s first aid vessels departed from Barcelona on April 12, while the main fleet set sail from Sicily on April 26. The convoy was intercepted on Thursday, April 30, near the Greek coast, around 600 nautical miles from Gaza.
Avila was among activists aboard a convoy of more than 50 vessels seeking to challenge Israel’s blockade of the Palestinian enclave and deliver humanitarian aid.
Israeli authorities accuse the activists of offences linked to aiding hostile organisations, while rights groups and lawyers representing the detainees argue that the arrests are unlawful and politically motivated.
An Israeli court this week extended the detention of Avila and Abu Keshek until Sunday, May 10, according to media reports and legal advocacy groups. Reports also said the two activists had begun hunger strikes while in custody.
