Canada’s PM sternly orders probe into Israel’s torture of Gaza aid flotilla activists
Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney has called for an independent investigation into Israel’s treatment of Gaza aid flotilla activists detained last week. The call was made during a phone conversation with Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Monday local time.
According to an official statement from the Canadian Prime Minister’s Office, Carney stated that ‘the appalling treatment of civilians, including Canadian citizens, aboard the flotilla heading to Gaza is unacceptable’.
Twelve Canadians were among approximately 420 activists from 41 ships intercepted by Israel while attempting to deliver symbolic aid to the Gaza Strip amid strict Israeli restrictions on the territory.
Circulating videos show activists forced to kneel in a line on the ground with hands tied behind their backs and heads pressed to the floor.
In the footage, the activists are seen in an emergency detention area at Ashdod Port in Israel and on the deck of a vessel used by Israeli authorities following the interception.
Canada has joined Italy, France, and the Netherlands in recalling their ambassadors to Israel following the release of a video showing Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir mocking the detained activists.
In the video, Ben-Gvir is seen ridiculing the activists and stating they should remain in prison for a ‘very, very long time’.
Carney told Herzog he ‘strongly condemned’ Ben-Gvir’s comments. Canada imposed sanctions on Ben-Gvir last year over repeated allegations of inciting violence against the Palestinian community.
In addition to discussing the flotilla incident, Carney and Herzog also addressed other issues, including the humanitarian situation in Gaza, the ongoing Middle East conflict, and rising antisemitism in Canada.
Ben-Gvir’s actions have also drawn criticism from within the Israeli government. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel has the right to stop ‘Hamas terrorist-supporting provocative flotillas’, but Ben-Gvir’s handling of the activists ‘does not align with Israeli values and norms’.
The interception of the Gaza aid flotilla has once again drawn international scrutiny to Israel’s blockade policy on the Gaza Strip, particularly amid worsening humanitarian conditions due to the ongoing war in the territory.