Italy follows France in investigating Israeli minister over alleged torture of flotilla activists.
Rome’s public prosecutor has registered Israel’s far-right national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir as a suspect in a criminal investigation into the treatment of pro-Palestinian activists detained during Israel’s interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla last month.
Prosecutors are reportedly investigating allegations including torture and kidnapping of the activists, among them several Italian nationals. The probe has been underway “for several weeks”, news agency ANSA reported on Monday night.
The investigation was triggered in part by a controversial video that Ben-Gvir posted on social media. The footage showed him taunting and humiliating dozens of bound and kneeling activists that Israel had detained after intercepting the flotilla in international waters off the coast of Cyprus.
The video sparked an international outcry, and was even condemned by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu who said the conduct was “not in line with Israel’s values”.
Investigation
The probe is part of a broader and ongoing Italian judicial response to the flotilla episodes.
Among the cases before Rome’s magistrates are formal complaints concerning two activists, Thiago de Ávila and Saif Abukeshek Abdelrahim, who were held in Israeli detention for several days and subsequently expelled.
Both were aboard vessels flying the Italian flag when they were forcibly removed by Israeli security forces.
Spring Mission
The 2026 spring mission departed from Sicily on 26 April with the aim of breaking Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza and delivering food and humanitarian supplies to Palestinians. Around 60 vessels joined the mission carrying around 1,000 activists in total, making it the largest pro-Palestinian activist flotilla of its kind.
Flotilla organisers claimed that several deported activists were hospitalised with injuries from Israeli custody and that at least 15 reported sexual assaults, including rape.
The Israel Prison Service denied the claims, saying all those detained were held in accordance with the law, with full regard for their basic rights, and received necessary and professional medical care.
Reaction
Ben-Gvir responded to news of the Italian investigation with contempt. In a post on X, he wrote that Italy – playing on its nickname “the Boot” – had become “the land of the flip-flop”.
France had also opened an investigation the previous week into alleged ‘war crimes’ and torture over Israel’s treatment of French citizens who participated in the flotilla. The probe was opened at the French government’s request by the national counterterrorism prosecutor’s office.
Italian and French prosecutors are examining the allegations to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to pursue criminal charges.
“I will not shy away from one investigation or another and will continue to stand proudly alongside our fighters,” Ben-Gvir said in a statement
Italy-Israel relations
The Italian proceedings reflect a marked cooling in Italy-Israel relations.
Italy was initially one of Israel’s staunchest allies in Europe after prime minister Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing government took office in 2022, but has steadily shifted away from Israel in recent years, taking a harder line against its actions in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon, and approving European Union sanctions on violent Israeli settlers.
Following Ben-Gvir’s original video post, Meloni said in a statement: “It is not acceptable that these activists, many of whom are Italian citizens, are subjected to treatment that violates human dignity. Italy demands an apology.”
Wider political context
EU foreign ministers are due to meet in Luxembourg next Monday to discuss possible sanctions options put forward by the High Representative Kaja Kallas, in an attempt to build a common European position.
Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani has already called for sanctions to proceed, stating that Ben-Gvir had “crossed the red line” with acts that violated “the most basic human rights.”
In recent days Ireland issued a travel ban for Ben-Gvir and Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich. Mícheál Martin, Ireland’s Taoiseach (prime minister), stated that the Israeli ministers’ actions and words amount to “a desire to see the elimination of Palestinians from Palestine”.
Naval blockade
Israel has maintained a naval blockade of the Gaza Strip since 2009. The most significant previous maritime confrontation occurred in 2010, when Israeli commandos raided the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, killing 10 people and injuring dozens.
Israel has consistently characterised the current flotilla campaign as a propaganda exercise in support of Hamas, a charge the organisers reject.
Photo credit: Teo K / Shutterstock.com
