GAZA, (PIC)
Hamas said the scenes of “humiliation and abuse” overseen by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir against activists from the “Global Sumud Flotilla” following their detention reflect the “moral depravity and sadism” governing Israeli leaders.
In a statement, the Movement said the treatment of the activists was part of a “desperate attempt to break their will and deter them from their humanitarian and noble mission to break the siege” imposed on Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Hamas held Israeli authorities and leadership “fully responsible for the safety of the activists” and demanded their immediate release.
The Movement also called on the international community, the United Nations, and human rights organizations to “document these crimes and violations” and file urgent complaints before the International Criminal Court to hold Israeli leaders accountable, arguing that the acts “amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.”
Hamas praised the “courage and sacrifices” of international activists supporting Palestinians, stressing the importance of continuing global humanitarian efforts to break the blockade on Gaza and expose what it called the “brutality and criminality of the occupation,” contributing to the formation of “a global front to end the siege and occupation.”
The scenes of humiliation and abuse against the flotilla activists inside Israeli detention centers sparked a wave of diplomatic outrage, prompting several European and Western countries to summon Israeli ambassadors and demand urgent explanations amid accusations that Israel violated human dignity and international law against civilian solidarity activists attempting to break the blockade on Gaza.
International condemnations escalated on Wednesday after Ben-Gvir published a video showing flotilla activists handcuffed and kneeling on the ground while in detention, subjected to degrading and provocative treatment.
Spain summoned Israeli chargé d’affaires Dan Poraz in protest over the activists’ “brutal, humiliating, and inhumane treatment,” demanding an official apology from Israel and the immediate release of those detained.
Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares wrote on X that he had watched a “horrifying and shameful” video showing Israeli forces and Ben-Gvir treating the activists in a “degrading and inhumane” manner, noting that Spanish citizens were among them.
Albares said Madrid had conveyed its “complete rejection and deep disgust” over the incident to Israel and added that Spain would coordinate with other countries whose citizens were among the activists to consider joint measures.
He also noted that Ben-Gvir is already subject to Spanish sanctions barring him from entering the country, adding that “similar measures will soon be applied at the European Union level.”
German Ambassador to Israel Steffen Seibert also condemned what he described as behavior that was “completely unacceptable and incompatible with the fundamental values of our countries.”
The Netherlands announced it had summoned the Israeli ambassador to discuss the “unacceptable treatment” of flotilla activists, while Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen described the images published by Ben-Gvir as “shocking and violating human dignity.”
Canada followed the same course, with Foreign Minister Anita Anand announcing the summoning of the Israeli ambassador, stating that the scenes shown in the video were “deeply troubling and completely unacceptable.”
Belgium also summoned the Israeli ambassador in protest against the “unacceptable treatment” of the activists and demanded their immediate release.
In the United Kingdom, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said she was “deeply shocked” by the footage, describing Ben-Gvir’s actions as “violating the most basic standards of respect and human dignity,” while confirming that London had requested official clarifications from Israel.
Greece strongly condemned what it described as Ben-Gvir’s abuse of the activists, while Türkiye accused the Israeli minister of using “verbal and physical violence” against flotilla participants, saying his behavior reflected “a government approach based on violence” within Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration.
Slovenian Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon described the treatment of the activists as “horrific and shocking,” stating that “there is no place for such behavior in any democratic society.”
Irish Foreign and Defense Minister Helen McEntee said the activists had been “illegally detained” in international waters and were not being treated in a manner consistent with human dignity, announcing that Ireland’s ambassador in Tel Aviv had been tasked with following the case and demanding the immediate release of all detainees.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also condemned the unacceptable treatment of the activists, while Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani announced that the Israeli ambassador had been summoned to the Foreign Ministry.
In France, Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot described Ben-Gvir’s actions as “unacceptable,” confirming that the Israeli ambassador had been summoned for explanations and to express Paris’s condemnation.
The video published by Ben-Gvir showed activists restrained inside a military vessel and Israeli detention centers, while the Israeli minister waved the Israeli flag and shouted “Long live Israel” in front of one of the handcuffed activists.
The footage also showed Israeli security personnel assaulting a female activist who was chanting “Freedom for Palestine,” violently pushing her to the ground and pulling her hair while Ben-Gvir shouted at her to “shut up,” accompanied by smiles and provocative remarks.
The seizure of the flotilla ships and detention of the activists drew widespread condemnation from international human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, which described the incident as “shameful and inhumane.”
The Global Sumud Flotilla is the third maritime initiative this year aimed at breaking the Israeli blockade imposed on Gaza, where catastrophic humanitarian conditions and severe shortages of food, medicine, and fuel have worsened since the beginning of Israel’s war on the territory in October 2023.
