Italian
The images released by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, showing the Gaza flotilla activists immobilized and mocked after the intervention of the Israeli army, provoke a strong international reaction. Italy summons the Israeli ambassador and demands the immediate release of the Italian citizens involved: “Harmful treatment of human dignity”
ISRAEL. The video published by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has sparked a strong wave of international outrage and opened a new diplomatic front between Israel and numerous Western countries. In the images shared on social media by the leader of the Israeli far-right, dozens of international activists can be seen detained after the seizure of the flotilla headed to Gaza: men and women kneeling on the ground, with their hands tied behind their backs and their heads bowed. Ben-Gvir appears in the footage mocking them, waving an Israeli flag and shouting nationalist slogans in front of the detainees.
The flotilla, made up of over 400 activists from about 40 countries and around fifty vessels, set off from Turkey carrying humanitarian aid destined for the population of the Gaza Strip. Israeli forces intercepted the ships in international waters, subsequently transferring the activists to the port of Ashdod.
According to the human rights organization Adalah, several detainees reportedly suffered physical and psychological violence during the operation and in the hours following their detention. Some were allegedly hit with rubber bullets and tasers, forced to maintain stressful positions, and subjected to humiliation and harassment. Three activists were said to have been hospitalized for their injuries.
The reaction from the international community has been very harsh. Among the first to intervene were Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, who in a joint statement described the images released by the Israeli minister as “unacceptable.”
“It is unacceptable that these protesters, including many Italian citizens, are subjected to this treatment that harms the dignity of the person,” reads the official statement released on May 20, 2026.
The Italian government has also announced that it has taken “all necessary steps, at the highest institutional levels, to obtain the immediate release of the Italian citizens involved,” formally requesting an apology from the Israeli authorities “for the total disregard shown towards the explicit requests of the Italian government.”
The Farnesina has finally announced the immediate summoning of the Israeli ambassador to Italy to request official clarifications on the incident.
Condemnations also came from Yvette Cooper, who spoke of “shocking images that go against the most basic standards of dignity,” while the President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, expressed that he is “deeply outraged,” calling for the immediate release of the activists.
Even the U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, historically close to the Israeli government, has described Ben-Gvir’s behavior as “despicable” and damaging to the dignity of the Israeli state.
Internal tensions within the Israeli government emerged just hours after the video was published. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu distanced himself from the Minister of National Security, stating that the behavior shown in the footage “is not in line with the values and norms of Israel.” Even harsher was Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, who accused Ben-Gvir of causing “serious damage to the image of the State.”
The episode comes at an already extremely delicate moment on the international stage. At the same time, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced new measures against a Palestinian village in the West Bank, while according to reports from the Israeli press, the International Criminal Court is reportedly considering arrest warrants against several members of the Israeli government.
Seven months after the ceasefire came into effect in Gaza, the humanitarian situation in the Strip continues to raise strong international concern: a large part of the population still lives in tents or makeshift shelters, with limited access to drinking water, medical care, and essential goods.
