Politicians around the world criticise Israel after footage emerges showing government minister mocking handcuffed detainees Nick Squires in Rome. Henry Bodkin Jerusalem Correspondent
Published 20 May 2026 9:14pm BST
Israel was widely condemned for the “monstrous” and “unacceptable” humiliation of activists who were detained after trying to deliver humanitarian aid by boat to Gaza.
Yvette Cooper, the Foreign Secretary, said she was “truly appalled” by a video posted by Itamar Ben-Gvir, the Israeli national security minister, in which he taunted protesters as they knelt on the floor with their wrists tied.
“We have demanded an explanation from the Israeli authorities and made clear their obligations to protect the rights of our citizens and all those involved,” Ms Cooper said.
Around 430 protesters from more than 40 different countries were filmed in a makeshift detention area in the port of Ashdod and on the deck of a ship.
The minister waved a large Israeli flag and mockingly told the detainees: “Welcome to Israel, we are the masters of the house.”
One female activist shouted “Free Palestine” as Mr Ben-Gvir walked past and was immediately pushed to the ground by security staff.
In a second video, Mr Ben-Gvir said the Global Sumud Flotilla activists “came here all full of pride like big heroes, look at them now”.
He said Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister, should give him permission to imprison them.
The activists, who were handcuffed and made to kneel with their heads touching the floor, were detained after being arrested in international waters and stopped from reaching Gaza.
Earlier, Giorgia Meloni, the Italian prime minister, demanded that Israel apologise for its “unacceptable” treatment of the activists.
The Italian government summoned the Israeli ambassador in Rome to give an explanation.
Ms Meloni and Antonio Tajani, Italy’s foreign minister, said Rome “demands an apology for the treatment” of the activists.
Guido Crosetto, the defence minister, told Israel: “We pride ourselves on having always treated your compatriots with respect, and we are not in the habit of arresting people in international waters, but rather of rescuing them if they need it. I don’t think this kind of behaviour is in the best interests of Israel.”
Opposition MPs called for more than diplomatic remonstrations.
Riccardo Ricciardi, from the progressive Five Star Movement, said: “We would like to see the country and the continent raise their heads, sanction Israel, and sever all trade agreements with the most criminal government in the world today.”
José Manuel Albares, Spain’s foreign minister, condemned the treatment of the protesters as “monstrous, disgraceful and inhumane”. Canada, Turkey, Ireland, the Netherlands and France also condemned the treatment of the activists.
Australia and New Zealand both said they would summon the Israeli ambassadors to their countries over the footage.
Flotilla organisers said the activists had been humiliated and “displayed as trophies”.
“Israel’s treatment of the Global Sumud Flotilla activists seized in international waters was shameful and reprehensible,” they said in a statement.
“Men and women [were] forced to kneel on the ground, tied up, humiliated, brutalised and displayed as trophies during minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s visit to the port of Ashdod.”
They called for the end of two-decade blockade of Gaza and the release of all 9,500 Palestinians “held in Israeli torture dungeons”.
A ‘disgraceful display’
The footage caused a row within the Israeli government, prompting denunciations from Mr Netanyahu and Gideon Sa’ar, the foreign minister.
The Israeli prime minister said: “Israel has every right to prevent provocative flotillas of Hamas terrorist supporters from entering our territorial waters and reaching Gaza.
“However, the way that minister Ben-Gvir dealt with the flotilla activists is not in line with Israel’s values and norms.
“I have instructed the relevant authorities to deport the provocateurs as soon as possible.”
Mr Sa’ar released a statement directed at Mr Ben-Gvir, saying: “You knowingly caused harm to our state in this disgraceful display – and not for the first time.
“You have undone tremendous, professional, and successful efforts made by so many people – from IDF soldiers to foreign ministry staff and many others. No, you are not the face of Israel.”
Last week, The New York Times published a report on alleged widespread sexual abuse of Palestinian detainees. The Israeli government denounced the piece as a “blood libel” and pledged to sue the newspaper.
The Israeli prison service denied the claims.
Mr Ben-Gvir, who runs Israel’s prisons, has led efforts to make conditions tougher for Palestinian prisoners.
The Israeli military has also been accused of using drones to disable larger vessels intended to take part in the flotilla.
Israel has not yet commented on the accusations.
The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights, or Adalah, a legal advocacy group based in Israel, accused the Israeli authorities of “employing a criminal policy of abuse and humiliation against activists”.
The group said in a statement that this followed similar patterns of ill-treatment by Israeli authorities against activists in previous flotilla missions “for which Israel faced zero accountability”.
Israel has called the flotilla “a PR stunt at the service of Hamas” with no real intent to deliver aid to Gaza.
The boats carry aid supplies such as tinned food and sanitary products in a symbolic attempt to break the maritime blockade.
