Overview
- Israeli forces intercepted a Gaza-bound flotilla and, on May 20, 2026, activists were shown in a video posted by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir kneeling with hands tied and heads bowed.
- The video shows Ben Gvir waving an Israeli flag, chanting and physically interacting with detainees, including pushing a female activist, before the group was moved from a military ship to a detention centre inside Israel.
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly criticized Ben Gvir’s conduct and ordered authorities to speed up the deportation of the detained activists.
- Italy’s prime minister called the treatment unacceptable and noted that several of the detainees are Italian citizens, and Belgium summoned Israel’s ambassador to express deep concern over the images.
- The activists are identified as members of the Asṭūl al-Ṣumūd flotilla and remain in Israeli custody pending deportation, a development that raises human-rights questions and could deepen political tensions at home and with European governments.