Italy demands Israel to formally  apologize for  abuse of "flotilla activists"

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has called on Israel to apologize, following extremist National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's participation in the detained Resilience Flotilla activists.

Meloni said in a statement on her account on the "X" platform, that "the photos of Israeli Minister Ben Gvir are unacceptable, it is  unacceptable that these demonstrators, including many Italian citizens, are subjected to this treatment that violates human dignity."

"The Italian government is taking immediately, at the highest institutional level, all necessary steps to ensure the immediate release of the Italian citizens concerned," it added.

   Italy demands an official apology for the treatment of the flotilla activists and for the utter contempt shown for the explicit demands of the Italian government.

It confirmed that "the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation will immediately summon the Israeli ambassador to request official clarifications on what happened."

Ben-Gvir  abuses  kidnapped "Resilience Flotilla" activists

The extremist Israeli Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has accused the activists of the "Steadfastness Flotilla" detained by the occupation.

Ben-Gvir posted a video showing the moment one of his companions assaulted a female activist and documented insults to the detainees, writing, "This is how we accept supporters of terrorism."

The video  of Itamar Ben-Gvir's abuse of the activists of the Al-Sumoud Flotilla was met with widespread condemnation on social media, with activists saying that the scenes in which the minister appeared to supervise harsh treatment of detainees reflect a dangerous escalation in speech and practice.

Users of the clip circulated widely, with comments criticizing what they described as a "show of force" and a "deliberate insult" targeting activists who took part in the attempt to break the blockade.

Rights groups said the behaviour documented in the video raises growing concerns about abuses of treatment, especially in light of previous testimonies of harsh conditions of detention of the fleet's personnel.

Israel transfers "Resilience Flotilla" abductees to Ashdod

Israeli sources reported that Tel Aviv "forcibly" transferred dozens of abducted activists from the Global Resilience Flotilla in international waters to the port of Ashdod.

In a statement on Wednesday, May 20, the Adalah Center for Human Rights in Israel pointed to the Israeli army's interception of the "Global Resilience Flotilla" boats in international waters, and said that as a result, dozens of participants in the flotilla were forcibly transferred to the southern Israeli port of Ashdod, including international solidarity activists, human rights defenders, medical staff, and journalists.

"They were sailing towards the Gaza Strip as part of a humanitarian mission aimed at breaking the illegal siege and delivering humanitarian aid to it," he said, explaining that the center's defense staff, along with a team of volunteer lawyers, began providing legal advice to the abductees.

Israel Announces the Detention of 430 Activists from the "Resilience Flotilla"

Israeli authorities announced on Wednesday night that 430 activists on board an aid flotilla bound for Gaza were on their way to Israel, after their ships were intercepted at sea the previous day off the coast of Cyprus.

"Another flotilla has come to an end, and all 430 activists have been transferred to Israeli ships and are on their way to Israel where they will be able to meet with their consular representatives," an Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday confirmed the interception of the boats, calling it "the foiling of a hostile plot" and told the Israeli navy commander overseeing the interception, according to a statement from his office attached to an excerpt from the conversation: "I think you are doing an exceptional job (...) Keep going until the end."

The Global Resilience Flotilla is the third initiative in a year aimed at breaking Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip, which has been suffering from severe shortages of food, water, medicine and fuel since the outbreak of the war between Israel and Hamas in October 2023.