Israel deports Gaza flotilla activists

1/ Israeli naval forces intercepted a Gaza-bound flotilla carrying foreign activists on Thursday, May 21, 2026, detaining those on board and towing the vessels to Ashdod port. The activists aimed to deliver aid and challenge Israel's naval blockade of Gaza amid the ongoing war. Israel deported most detainees by Friday evening. 2/ The flotilla consisted of one main vessel, the "Handala," with about 12 activists from countries including the UK, France, Spain, and Canada. Organizers described it as a symbolic protest against restrictions on Gaza aid, carrying medical supplies and baby formula. No weapons were found aboard, Israeli officials said. 3/ Video footage circulated widely showing detained activists kneeling on the deck of an Israeli naval vessel, hands bound behind their backs with zip ties. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir appeared in the clips, gesturing at them and saying in Hebrew, "These are the great heroes who came to attack us," according to subtitles and translations posted online. 4/ Ben-Gvir, a far-right politician and leader of the Otzma Yehudit party, visited the port after the interception and posted the videos himself on social media Thursday evening. He captioned one: "These 'heroes' who came to attack us ended up kneeling." The clips drew immediate backlash for appearing to mock the detainees. 5/ By Friday morning, at least eight European countries—including the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Ireland, Belgium, and the Netherlands—summoned Israeli ambassadors to their foreign ministries. UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy called the footage "deeply disturbing" and demanded an explanation from Israel. 6/ French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said his government summoned Israel's envoy over "images incompatible with respect for human dignity." Spain's Foreign Ministry labeled the treatment "degrading." The EU's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, condemned the "humiliating" scenes and urged Israel to uphold international law. 7/ Even within Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly rebuked Ben-Gvir on Friday. Netanyahu's office said the minister's behavior was "unacceptable" and did not reflect government policy. "Israel is a freedom-loving democracy," the statement added, emphasizing that detainees were treated lawfully. 8/ Israel's official response framed the interception as necessary to enforce the Gaza blockade, in place since 2007 to prevent arms smuggling by Hamas. Defence Minister Israel Katz said the activists knew the risks and received food, water, and medical care during detention. Deportations began after identity checks, with flights departing Ben Gurion Airport. 9/ This incident echoes the 2010 Mavi Marmara flotilla raid, where Israeli commandos killed 10 Turkish activists, sparking a major diplomatic crisis. Unlike that larger convoy of six ships, this was a single small boat, but the optics reignited global scrutiny of Israel's Gaza policies. 10/ Activists were processed at Ashdod: fingerprinted, interrogated, and offered voluntary deportation. Most accepted; a few faced expulsion orders. By late Friday, 11 had been flown out, including UK citizen Greta Thunberg supporter Sofia Taylor, who told reporters at the airport, "We wanted to highlight the blockade's toll". 11/ Gaza's blockade, tightened after Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack, allows limited aid via land crossings but bars sea access. UN data shows 1.9 million Gazans face acute food insecurity. Flotilla organizers vowed more attempts, with Ireland-based Freedom Flotilla Coalition planning a larger mission for June.