Several countries voiced outrage on Thursday after Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir posted a video showing Gaza-bound flotilla activists pinned to the ground and mocked by Israeli officers, while two Italian activists later alleged they were physically assaulted in detention, Reuters reported.
The activists had been detained after Israeli naval forces intercepted their aid vessel in international waters on Wednesday as it attempted to deliver humanitarian assistance to Gaza. Israel’s foreign ministry said all detainees were deported on Thursday.
The video and the activists’ treatment triggered condemnation from several Western governments, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the United States, Israel’s closest ally.
Across Europe, governments summoned Israeli ambassadors in protest. Italy demanded an apology, Spain warned it would not tolerate mistreatment of its citizens, and France called for the release of all detainees.
Britain’s foreign ministry said the footage “violates the most basic standards of respect and dignity for people”, while Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski called for Ben-Gvir to be barred from entering Poland.
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee also criticised the minister, saying Ben-Gvir had “betrayed the dignity of his nation.”
The backlash followed the release of campaign-style videos by Ben-Gvir and Israeli Transport Minister Miri Regev, showing them visiting the port where the activists were held and publicly ridiculing the protesters, in what critics described as political theatre ahead of a possible early election in Israel.
Thameen Al-Kheetan, spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said the activists’ detention at sea appeared to be unlawful.
“It is not a crime to show solidarity and bring humanitarian assistance to the people who are in dire need of it in Gaza,” he told Reuters. He added that any allegations of abuse should be independently investigated.
Italian journalist Alessandro Mantovani, one of the activists deported earlier, alleged he was assaulted upon arrival at an Israeli detention facility. Speaking to reporters at Rome’s Fiumicino airport, he described the site as a “place of terror”.
“They kicked me in the legs and punched me in the face,” he said. “They would beat you up and tell you, ‘Welcome to Israel.’”
Another Italian activist, Dario Carotenuto, a lawmaker from the Five Star Movement, also alleged he was punched in the eye and kicked while in custody. Israel’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to the accusations.
Flotilla organisers said the mission aimed to challenge Israel’s blockade of Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid, which charities say remains insufficient despite a US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that has been in place since October 2025.
The flotilla departed from southern Turkey earlier this week before being intercepted by Israeli forces. Previous aid flotillas, including one carrying Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, were also stopped by Israel, with participants later deported. Israeli rights group Adalah said around 430 activists had since been released from detention in southern Israel.
Ben-Gvir’s video showed officers forcing an activist to the ground after she chanted “Free, free Palestine”. Other scenes showed dozens of detainees kneeling with their hands zip-tied behind their backs at what appeared to be an Israeli port facility guarded by armed soldiers.
“Look at them now. See how they look now, not heroes and not anything,” Ben-Gvir said in the footage while carrying a large Israeli flag.
Netanyahu later distanced himself from the remarks, saying the minister’s conduct was “not in line with Israel’s values and norms”.
Ben-Gvir remains a prominent figure among Israel’s ultranationalist voters, a constituency Netanyahu’s Likud party has sought to attract ahead of national elections, currently due by 27 October. Earlier this week, Israel moved closer to a snap election after lawmakers gave initial approval to dissolve parliament.
Canada and Spain are among countries that have already imposed sanctions on Ben-Gvir and far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich over allegations they incited violence against Palestinians.
