RAMALLAH, May 23 — Palestine yesterday condemned Israel’s mistreatment of Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) 2.0 activists, saying Zionist forces’ actions reflect a policy devoid of “law, human morality and human dignity”, reported Anadolu Ajansi.
In a statement, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said it “strongly condemns the abuse and humiliation suffered by activists of the Global Sumud Flotilla, which headed to the Gaza Strip on an honourable humanitarian mission, at the hands of the occupation forces and their extremist ministers”.
The ministry said Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir deliberately filmed and published footage of the activists’ treatment while boasting about it, describing the actions as part of a broader Israeli policy rather than “an isolated incident” or “individual political showmanship”.
It said the incident demonstrated how Israel has “turned collective humiliation into a declared part of its political and security doctrine”.
The ministry also praised GSF 2.0 participants, commending their “courage and noble humanitarian positions in support of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip”.
In a separate statement, the Palestinian presidency said intercepting the flotilla vessels in international waters “constitutes an illegal act, maritime piracy and a flagrant violation of international law and international humanitarian law, as well as a blatant assault on freedom of navigation and international humanitarian and solidarity work”.
It also condemned Ben-Gvir’s “inciting statements” and his comments calling for activists to remain imprisoned “for as long as possible”, saying they reflect “the racist and extremist mentality governing the policies of the occupation government”.
The presidency urged the international community to assume its “legal and humanitarian responsibilities toward the Palestinian people, lift the blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip and work to stop the ongoing Israeli attacks against our people, land and holy sites”.
On Wednesday, Ben-Gvir published a video on social media where he mocked detained GSF 2.0 activists, whose limbs were zip-tied and who were forced to kneel.
The video sparked international outrage, with countries including Italy, Ireland and Spain urging the European Union for sanctions against Ben-Gvir.
Israel seized the flotilla, which was carrying 428 people from 44 countries, in international waters on Monday and detained all activists onboard.
