Ben Gvir slams Netanyahu over Gaza flotilla activists’ release
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Ben Gvir attacks Netanyahu for deporting Gaza flotilla activists, demanding they remain jailed in harsh conditions as calls grow for international intervention.
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Surrounded by security guards, Israeli far-right Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir participates in march marking 'Jerusalem Day' in Damascus Gate of al-Quds' Old City, Monday, May 26, 2025 (AP)
Israeli Police Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has sharply criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to deport the activists of the Global Sumud Flotilla, who were detained while attempting to reach the Gaza Strip to break the blockade.
Speaking to the press, Ben Gvir described Netanyahu’s decision to allow the flotilla participants to return to their countries as “a fundamental mistake.” He argued that the detainees should have been imprisoned in “Israel” for months, saying: “They should be kept in Israeli jails to smell the suites in which the terrorist prisoners are kept. Sending them back time after time only encourages their return.”
The far-right minister has been pressing for harsher treatment of the detained activists, personally visiting sites of their detention to ensure they were handled under what he described as “security prisoner” conditions.
From Asdod port to Ketziot prison
Ben Gvir arrived at the port of Asdod after the conclusion of Yom Kippur, where Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai and southern commander Haim Bublil oversaw the transfer of detainees to Israeli prison authorities.
At Ketziot prison, Ben Gvir ordered officials to treat the flotilla participants as “terrorists,” shouting at them: “You are terrorists.” He added: “As promised, those who joined the flotilla are now in a security prison, receiving the same treatment as terrorists in every sense of the word.”
The minister further boasted that the detainees were given prison uniforms, harsh conditions, and “only the bare minimum,” in line with his earlier pledges. Inside the detention facility, a banner was hung depicting Gaza in ruins with the slogan “New Gaza.”
Conflicting narratives
The Israeli foreign ministry announced Thursday that none of the flotilla ships had succeeded in reaching the Gaza Strip, insisting that “the situation of the flotilla participants is good.” This statement appeared to contradict Ben Gvir’s public directives for punitive measures.
On the other hand, organizers of the flotilla said that more than 443 volunteers from 47 countries were being held unlawfully after Israeli forces intercepted their mission. They called for urgent international intervention to secure the safety of the detainees and demanded their immediate release.
Mass demonstrations erupted across Arab and Western countries in response to the Israeli occupation’s attack on the Global Sumud Flotilla, which was sailing toward Gaza to break the blockade and deliver humanitarian aid.
Protesters voiced solidarity with Palestine and demanded accountability for the aggression.
Europe: Strikes and protests against Israeli aggression
In Europe, thousands took to the streets in Greece, Spain, Sweden, Belgium, and Italy. In Rome, Italy’s largest trade union federation announced a nationwide general strike for next Friday to protest the assault.
Demonstrators in Germany blocked the central train station, while in Geneva, Switzerland, calls were launched for mobilizations condemning the attack on the flotilla.
