Organisers said the 430 activists taken by Israeli police included citizens of Italy, Canada, UK, Ireland and South Korea. [Getty]
Italian prosecutors put Israel’s fanatical National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir under investigation over the treatment of activists who were part of a Gaza flotilla last month, a judicial source said on Monday.
The source, who asked not to be named, confirmed earlier reports by Italian news agencies and said Ben-Gvir was being investigated on suspicion of torture and kidnapping of Italian citizens who were among the activists.
If the probe determines charges are warranted, prosecutors could lodge a formal request for trial.
In response to the Italian investigation, Ben-Gvir said in a statement: “I will not shy away from one investigation or another and will continue to stand proudly alongside our fighters.”
Israel and Ben-Gvir have faced mounting international criticism after the minister, in late May, released a video showing abducted Gaza activists kneeling with their hands bound after Israel kidnapped members of the aid flotilla in international waters.
Organisers said the 430 activists taken by Israeli police included citizens of Italy, Canada, UK, Ireland and South Korea.
In a video Ben-Gvir posted on X, officers forced an activist to the ground after she chanted “Free, free Palestine”.
The government of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called the treatment of the activists “unacceptable” and summoned the Israeli ambassador for an explanation.
Italy subsequently asked the European Union to discuss sanctions against Ben-Gvir, while France has decided to ban Ben-Gvir from its territory.
Flotilla organisers say they aimed to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza by delivering humanitarian assistance, something aid bodies say is still in short supply despite a US-brokered alleged “ceasefire” between Israel since October 2025 that includes guarantees of increased aid. I
Israel’s blockade of Gaza is considered illegal by international law and a form of collective punishment.
