Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir sparks international condemnation after posting footage showing Gaza-bound flotilla activists detained by Israeli forces. Multiple outlets report that Israeli authorities intercepted vessels carrying foreign activists and detained hundreds, including the activists associated with the Global Sumud Flotilla. The video, shared by Ben-Gvir on X, shows detainees at Israel’s Ashdod port. Several activists are depicted handcuffed or with hands tied, kneeling on the ground, and in some clips with foreheads pressed down. Some reports describe Ben-Gvir taunting or mocking the detainees while the Israeli national anthem plays in the background.
Western governments and European officials denounce the release of the footage, and human rights organisations also criticise the treatment shown. Some reporting says Israeli politicians quickly responded to the posting, and that the episode drew a rare public reprimand from Israel’s prime minister, according to one outlet. The criticism focuses on the detainees’ treatment and the minister’s public display of the footage, rather than on the initial interception itself. Israeli actions and the handling of the detained activists are now under heightened scrutiny.
