The Netherlands and several other countries have rounded on Israel over footage showing detained Gaza flotilla activists being forced to the ground, hands bound, while a senior Israeli minister laughed and waved a flag.
The scenes emerged after Israel illegally intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters near Cyprus on Monday.
The convoy of vessels, carrying aid to relieve Gaza and around 428 activists, was boarded by Israeli forces and escorted to the Israeli port of Ashdod. Among those detained are six Dutch nationals, NOS reports.
The video that sparked fury
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir shared footage on X of his visit to the detained activists, and the backlash was swift.
In the video, a woman with her hands bound is roughly forced to the ground after shouting “Free, free Palestine.” Ben-Gvir is then seen grinning and waving an Israeli flag.
Elsewhere in the footage, dozens of activists are shown kneeling face-down, hands tied behind their backs, with the Israeli national anthem playing in the background.
Human rights lawyer and former UN special rapporteur for human rights in Palestine says global outrage at Israel’s Ben-Gvir over the ill treatment of Gaza flotilla activists, who were recently abducted by Israeli forces, is 'a long time coming.' pic.twitter.com/C4a08nWzzy
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) May 21, 2026
Meanwhile, Israeli Transport Minister Miri Regev also posted a video of herself with the detainees, describing the scene as the consequence of “coming to break the blockade of Gaza.”
Dutch government summons Israeli ambassador
Dutch Prime Minister Jetten called the treatment mensonterend (degrading) on social media, saying it “goes beyond all limits.”
As confirmed in a post on X, he raised the matter directly with Israeli President Herzog.
Foreign Minister Berendsen went further, describing both the treatment of the activists and Ben-Gvir’s behaviour as “completely unacceptable.”
He contacted his Israeli counterpart and summoned the Israeli ambassador to the Netherlands for an explanation. Both Berendsen and members of parliament are demanding an apology from Israel.
“They must be treated with dignity,” Berendsen said of the six Dutch detainees. “Based on these images, we have serious concerns about that.”
He also called on Israel to fully cooperate in ensuring their safe and prompt return to the Netherlands.
Netanyahu distances himself (but only so far)
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu acknowledged in a statement that Ben-Gvir’s conduct did not reflect “the norms and values of Israel.”
However, he stood behind the decision to intercept the flotilla and ordered the activists deported “as soon as possible,” referring to them as “provocateurs.”
The Netherlands wasn’t alone in its condemnation. Italy and France also summoned their Israeli ambassadors.
Italian Prime Minister Meloni, not the most liberal leader in Europe, shall we say, called the treatment of detainees, many of them Italian nationals, “unacceptable” and a violation of human dignity, demanding their immediate release.
Canada, Portugal, Spain, and Ireland also added their voices to the criticism, with Ireland’s foreign minister stating the activists had been detained illegally.
The Netherlands has been steadily hardening its position on Israel in recent months, from pushing for an EU investigation to calling for a suspension of EU–Israel trade ties. This latest diplomatic confrontation is unlikely to ease that trajectory.
Do you think the Dutch government’s response goes far enough? Let us know in the comments.
