
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference in Jerusalem on March 19, 2026. Ronen Zvulun/ Pool/AFP via Getty Images
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed mounting international criticism on May 20 over the treatment of activists detained aboard a Gaza-bound aid flotilla after footage released by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir showed detainees restrained on the ground.
“Israel has every right to prevent provocative flotillas of Hamas terrorist supporters from entering our territorial waters and reaching Gaza,” Netanyahu said in a May 20 statement. “However, the way that Minister Ben Gvir dealt with the flotilla activists is not in line with Israel’s values and norms.”
We had a problem loading this article. Please enable javascript or use a different browser. If the issue persists, please visit our help center.
