Australia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong has joined a growing chorus of international condemnation after a video posted by Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir showed detained flotilla activists being mocked and mistreated.
The footage, shared on Ben-Gvir’s social media, shows rows of activists kneeling with their hands zip-tied behind their backs while Israeli forces stand over them, grab them and forcefully drag them. In the clip, Ben-Gvir appears smiling, waving an Israeli flag and taunting detainees, at one point shouting “The people of Israel live” at a bound man. The video was captioned “Welcome to Israel”.
ככה אנחנו מקבלים את תומכי הטרור
— איתמר בן גביר (@itamarbengvir) May 20, 2026
Welcome to Israel 🇮🇱 pic.twitter.com/7Hf8cAg7fC
In a statement, Wong described the scenes as “shocking and unacceptable”.
“We condemn the actions of Israeli Minister Ben-Gvir — who Australia has sanctioned — and the degrading actions of Israeli authorities towards those detained,” she said.
Wong also confirmed Australia is seeking urgent clarification and action, particularly given Australians were among those detained.
“I have asked Australia’s Ambassador to Israel to make representations to Israel, reiterating our call for the release of the detained Australians and for Israel to ensure no ill treatment of any detainees and to act in line with international obligations,” she said.
Eleven Australians were onboard the Global Sumud Flotilla, a large-scale aid mission involving more than 400 activists from 40 countries attempting to sail humanitarian supplies to Gaza. Israeli forces intercepted the flotilla in international waters and detained those on board.
“No one is allowed to see what is happening in Gaza,” said a Global Sumud Flotilla rep on Instagram.
“Gaza is just a box and no one is allowed to look inside it. It is completely sealed. Whoever dares to approach and try to open this box, or even thinks about opening it, Israel must eliminate them.”
Legal representatives and rights groups have since raised serious concerns about the treatment of detainees. The legal centre Adalah said its team had documented “systemic violations of due process, and widespread physical and psychological abuse by Israeli authorities”, including “a large number of complaints of extreme violence”, per The Guardian.
According to those accounts, some activists were hospitalised following the interception, while others reported injuries including suspected broken ribs. Detainees also alleged the use of rubber bullets and tasers, prolonged stress positions, and instances of humiliation and sexual harassment. Multiple women reported their hijabs were forcibly removed.
The video has triggered swift backlash from governments around the world, including some of Israel’s closest allies. US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said Ben-Gvir had “betrayed the dignity of his nation”, while Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described the footage as “unacceptable”.
Even within Israel, the response has been critical. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the behaviour shown in the video was “not in line” with the country’s values and ordered the activists to be deported “as soon as possible”.
The incident has added further strain to an already tense diplomatic moment, with multiple countries demanding the release of their citizens and answers over the treatment of those detained.
Lead image: Getty / X
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