The UK has hit out at an Israeli cabinet minister for “taunting” pro-Palestinian activists detained after travelling on board a Gaza-bound aid flotilla.
The foreign secretary Yvette Cooper said she was “truly appalled” at a video posted by the security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir which she said “violates the most basic standards of respect and dignity in the way people should be treated”.
In a statement she said: “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” as she criticised the “taunting” of those involved in the Global Sumud Flotilla.
Italy and France have also denounced the video as “unacceptable”.
In the footage, released by Ben-Gvir, he told detained activists they should remain in prison for a “long, long time.”
The video showed the minister walking among some of the approximately 430 detained activists flanked by police and soldiers as he waved a large Israeli flag. He told them: “Welcome to Israel, we are the landlords.”
The footage shows dozens of people kneeling with their hands tied behind their backs inside what appears to be a makeshift detention area at Ashdod port and on the deck of a ship.
At one point a handcuffed is seen shouting “Free Palestine” as Ben-Gvir walks past and is immediately pushed to the ground by security personnel.
In a second video, Ben-Gvir says that the activists “came here all full of pride like big heroes. Look at them now,” while he appeals to Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to give him permission to jail them.
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 a symbolic amount of aid.
On Monday, the Israeli navy stopped 41 boats from the flotilla in international waters off Cyprus and detained those on board.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said: “It is intolerable that these protesters, among whom there are many Italian citizens, are subjected to this treatment, which violates human dignity.”
“Italy also demands an apology for the treatment inflicted on these demonstrators and for the total disregard shown towards the explicit requests of the Italian government,” she added.
