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Israel’s foreign ministry said on Thursday that foreign activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla detained by Israeli forces have been deported, as international outcry over their treatment by authorities continues.
“All foreign activists from the PR flotilla have been deported from Israel,” the ministry said in a statement posted on X. “Israel will not permit any breach of the lawful naval blockade on Gaza.”
The roughly 430 activists from countries around the world had been placed in detention in Israel after being intercepted at sea on Monday near Cyprus. They were undertaking the latest in a string of attempts to break the blockade Gaza by Israel.
Leaders across the world had been calling for the detainees’ release after video footage emerged of Israeli National Security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir taunting them while in custody.
Footage posted to his X account showed Ben-Gvir berating detainees and waving a large Israeli flag as they were forced to kneel with their hands tied behind their backs.
“Welcome to Israel, we are the landlords,” he can be heard saying in the video.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on Thursday said their treatment was “unacceptable” and called on the European Union to sanction the minister.
Ireland and Spain are also pressing for EU sanctions against Ben-Gvir.
In a statement, Netanyahu said Israel had “every right” to stop “provocative flotillas of Hamas terrorist supporters from entering our territorial waters and reaching Gaza,” but added that the manner in which Ben-Gvir had dealt with the activists was “not in line with Israel’s values and norms.”
Israel’s foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar also criticised Ben-Gvir, writing on X that he had “deliberately caused damage to the state in this disgraceful performance.”
“No, you are not the face of Israel,” he said.