Israeli police on Wednesday forced activists detained after a Gaza-bound aid flotilla was intercepted to kneel on the ground in rows with their hands tied behind their backs, as an Israeli national security minister was filmed looking on. Multiple outlets report that the minister’s remarks in the footage, including statements that the activists should face lengthy imprisonment, drew criticism.
According to reports summarised across the outlets, the flotilla was intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters on Tuesday. The detainees were later taken to an Israeli port, where the video was recorded. Reactions described in the coverage include condemnation from foreign leaders and criticism from within Israel’s own government.
While the accounts focus on the video and the detainees’ treatment, they consistently describe the same sequence of events: the interception in international waters, detention and transport to a port, and police forcing the activists to kneel while bound. The incident is presented across sources as raising concerns about how detainees are treated following an interception attempt to deliver aid to Gaza.
