A video posted by Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir visiting the detention camps where hundreds of activists from a humanitarian flotilla are being held in humiliating conditions, has sparked international controversy and even rejection inside Israeli's government.
Israeli authorities said there are 430 activists from boats of the Global Sumud Flotilla, who departed from Turkey and were detained on Monday and Tuesday. Ben Gvir's video shows the inhuman conditions the activists are being illegally held, kneeled with hands tied behind their backs, some under the sun, and some being battered and abused by officials.
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The video caused outrage internationally and Spain, France, Italy, Ireland, or Canada summoned their Israeli ambassadors to demand the immediate liberation of their nationals being detained by Israel. But the video also caused turmoil inside Israel government.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said that Ben Gvir "deliberately caused damage to the state with this disgraceful performance, and not for the first time" and that he had "squandered enormous, professional, and successful efforts made by many, many people from IDF soldiers to Ministry of Foreign Affairs employees and many other fine individuals", while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said "the way that Minister Ben Gvir dealt with the flotilla activists is not in line with Israel's values and norms", although he said that "Israel has every right to prevent provocative flotillas of Hamas terrorist supporters from entering our territorial waters and reaching Gaza".
The activists are now expected to be released in the coming days, as it has happened in previous flotillas, but there have been reports that some activists were held for days in Israeli prisons, and some were tortured before being released. Netanyahu said that he instructed authorities "to depart provocateurs as soon as possible".