UN rights office says video of Israeli treatment of Gaza aid flotilla activists ‘outrageous’

The UN human rights office on Thursday condemned Israel’s treatment of activists aboard Gaza-bound flotilla vessels, calling video of the incident “outrageous” and raising concerns over what it described as potentially unlawful arrests and detentions in international waters.

“What this video shows is outrageous,” spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani told Anadolu in a statement.

She was referring to the video shared by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, showing detained activists zip-tied and forced to kneel after being detained by Israeli forces in international waters.

The Global Sumud humanitarian aid flotilla said Tuesday that all 50 vessels in its convoy had been seized by Israel following attacks in international waters.

Shamdasani said the office was “worried about the situation in which hundreds of Gaza-bound flotilla activists have been arrested by Israeli forces on board of foreign flagged vessels in international waters, and held by the Israeli navy, following what appears to be unlawful arrests and detentions.”

She deemed criminalization of the delivery of life-saving aid “unacceptable.”