Pakistan, 7 other nations condemn Israeli minister's 'appalling' actions against Gaza aid flotilla activists

Published
0
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir reacts as flotilla activists are detained by Israeli forces, in Ashdod Port, Israel, in this screen grab taken from a video released on May 20, 2026. — AFP
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir reacts as flotilla activists are detained by Israeli forces, in Ashdod Port, Israel, in this screen grab taken from a video released on May 20, 2026. — AFP

Pakistan, along with seven other nations, condemned on Sunday the “appalling, degrading, and unacceptable actions of extremist Israeli Minister Itamar Ben Gvir” against participants in the Gaza-bound flotilla while they were in Israeli detention.

Last week, Israel’s far-right national security minister posted a video on showing the detained activists kneeling with their hands tied and foreheads on the ground, sparking international condemnation.

The video, shared on X by the firebrand minister, was published after Israeli forces intercepted the flotilla’s vessels at sea and began detaining hundreds of foreign activists at the southern port of Ashdod.

The footage also shows Ben Gvir heckling and waving an Israeli flag among the detained activists.

Later, the flotilla’s organisers said the activists were subjected to abuse in Israeli custody, with several hospitalised for injuries and at least 15 reporting sexual assaults, including rape.

On Sunday, the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Turkiye, Indonesia, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates strongly condemned the minister’s “appalling, degrading, and unacceptable actions”.

In a joint statement, they stressed that Ben Gvir’s “deliberate public humiliation of detainees is a disgraceful assault on human dignity and a clear violation of Israel’s obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law, and international human rights law”.

The ministers further deplored and condemned in the strongest terms the “illegal and extremist acts of incitement and violence” by Ben Gvir and the Israeli forces directed against Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

They warned that Ben Gvir’s “provocative actions fuel hatred and extremism, and obstruct efforts to advance a just and lasting peace on the basis of the two-state solution”.

The ministers demand accountability for Ben-Gvir’s actions and called for concrete measures to end his repeated provocations, incitement, and violations, and to prevent him from further threatening and to ensure that such actions are neither tolerated nor repeated.

They further stress the imperative of protecting human rights and safeguarding the dignity and humane treatment of all detainees, and ensuring full respect for international law in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

Opinion

Editorial

Kashmir unresolved
Updated 30 Sep, 2026

Kashmir unresolved

The just solution lies in India addressing the issue through a trilateral dialogue involving the legitimate representatives of the Kashmiri people and Pakistan.
Water shortage
30 Sep, 2026

Water shortage

THAT the country is entering the Rabi season with an anticipated water shortage of nearly 25pc, the lowest carryover...
Young hearts
30 Sep, 2026

Young hearts

THE observance may have passed, but the message of World Heart Day should not fade with it. The occasion is a useful...
Terror and politics
Updated 29 Sep, 2026

Terror and politics

There is an urgent need to tone down the rhetoric and tackle terrorism as a collective challenge for both the affected provinces and the federation.
Watching the glaciers
29 Sep, 2026

Watching the glaciers

THE latest signs from Pakistan’s mountains are worrying. Suparco says the number of unfrozen glacial lakes it...
Dangerous agenda
29 Sep, 2026

Dangerous agenda

AS the world remains fixated on the US-Iran conflict, elsewhere in the Middle East, Israel is consolidating its grip...