Israel Deports Gaza Activists As Anger Mounts Over Ben-Gvir Video

TEL AVIV, May 21 (dpa) -- Israel has begun deporting hundreds of activists from an aid flotilla that was intercepted en route to Gaza, the Adalah human rights organization said on Thursday, as criticism mounted over the treatment of the participants detained in Israel.

Adalah said all participants in the international Gaza Sumud Flotilla have been released from prison in Israel and were now on their way to be deported, most of them from Ramon Airport in the south of the country.

The Israeli news portal ynet reported, citing Adalah, that four activists have already been flown out via Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv.

Adalah accused Israel of torturing, humiliating and unlawfully detaining peaceful activists, as outrage grew over a video showing Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir mocking the handcuffed detainees.

The video, posted on Wednesday, drew widespread criticism from European governments. Italy, France, Spain and Portugal said they had summoned ambassadors and senior diplomats, while Greece and the Netherlands protested Ben-Gvir's actions to the Israeli government.  

A spokesman for the European Commission said the treatment of the activists shown in the video was "completely unacceptable." He called on the Israeli government to "ensure the protection and dignified treatment of these activists."

Criticism also came from Israel, where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar distanced themselves from Ben-Gvir's actions.

Israel stopped the 50 boats of the aid flotilla in international waters off Cyprus at the start of the week. Around 430 activists had sought to break the naval blockade of the Gaza Strip.

--NNN-dpa