JERUSALEM: Israeli police on Wednesday forced activists who were aboard a Gaza-bound aid flotilla to kneel on the ground in rows with their hands tied behind their backs while a minister looked on, drawing criticism from foreign leaders and even from inside Israel’s own government.
The activists were detained after their flotilla was intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters on Tuesday and later taken to an Israeli port.
The flotilla, having set sail from southern Turkiye, was making a renewed attempt to deliver aid to war-shattered Gaza after earlier missions were also intercepted by Israel.
Organisers say they aim to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza by delivering humanitarian assistance, something aid bodies say is still in short supply despite a US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in place since October 2025 that includes guarantees of increased aid.
Israel says its naval blockade on Gaza is lawful.
After police detained the activists, who organisers said numbered 430 people including citizens of Italy and South Korea, Israel’s far-right police minister Itamar Ben-Gvir posted a video on X showing officers forcing an activist to the ground after she chants “Free, free Palestine”.
The video also shows dozens of detained activists kneeling in rows with their hands zip-tied behind their backs, in what appears to be an outdoor Israeli port facility.
