Ukraine condemns Israel's mistreatment of detained Gaza activists

Ukraine condemned on May 21 footage of Israeli authorities mistreating activists detained while trying to deliver aid to Gaza, with Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha calling it "unacceptable and incompatible with respect for human dignity, human rights, and international law."

Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir posted a video on X on May 20 in which he is seen taunting hundreds of detained activists, their hands tightly bound behind their backs as they are roughly handled by Israeli authorities. The video was captioned, "Welcome to Israel."

The Gaza Strip remains one of the most heavily blockaded areas in the world. Activists from around the globe, including Ukraine, have repeatedly attempted to breach the blockade by sea in order to deliver desperately needed aid to Palestinians.

The territory is in the grip of a severe health and food crisis following Israel's extensive bombing campaign launched in response to the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack that killed some 1,200 Israelis.

According to estimates, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has left about 75,000 Palestinians dead.

Israeli forces routinely intercept vessels attempting to breach the blockade, with those on board detained and subsequently deported. Israeli officials have repeatedly justified the interception of aid flotillas, which transport items like food and medicine, by citing national security concerns.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on May 20 that Israel has "the full right" to "prevent provocative flotillas of Hamas terror supporters from entering our territorial waters," but also said that Ben-Gvir's treatment of the detained activists was "not in line with the values and norms of the state of Israel."

The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in November 2024, charging him with war crimes committed against Palestinians in Gaza under his leadership.

Regarding the latest activists detained while trying to deliver aid to Gaza, Sybiha called for their swift release and their "safe return ensured, with a full respect for their rights and dignity."

It is unclear whether any Ukrainians are among the detained. However, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski confirmed that an unspecified number of Poles were detained in his public condemnation of the video.

"You may not treat Polish citizens who have committed no crime in this way. In the democratic world, we do not abuse and gloat over people in custody," Sikorski wrote on May 20. "We demand justice for our citizens and consequences for you."

Ukraine-Israeli relations, already strained since the start of the full-scale war due to Israel's refraining from providing direct military aid, grew even more tense earlier this spring after reports emerged that Russian-supplied ships carrying stolen Ukrainian grain from the occupied territories had been permitted to dock in Israel.

However, after a series of tense public diplomatic exchanges, Israel turned away a ship carrying stolen Ukrainian grain in early May, with Sybiha saying that "this demonstrates that Ukraine's legal and diplomatic actions have been effective."