Canada Objects to Israel's Handling of Hamas Fleet

OTTAWA - The Canadian government is calling Israel's treatment of detained Gaza flotilla activists "abominable", adding that Israel's ambassador will be summoned to respond after National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir shared a video taunting them.

The activists were forced to kneel on the ground in rows with their hands tied behind their backs and their heads touching the floor, footage shows. In the video, the activists appear to be inside a makeshift detention area at Ashdod port and on the deck of a ship.

"What we've seen, including the video shared by [Ben-Gvir], is deeply troubling and absolutely unacceptable", Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand told reporters. "This is a matter we take very, very seriously. It's a matter of humane treatment of civilians, and I can assure you that we are acting with absolute urgency."

Global Sumud Canada says 12 Canadians who were aboard the flotilla have all been detained, as of Tuesday. "The protection of civilians and respect for human dignity must be upheld everywhere, at all times", Prime Minister Mark Carney said, noting that Canada imposed sanctions on Ben-Gvir last year, over repeated incitements of violence against Palestinian communities.

In the released video, the Israeli far-right minister appears to be taunting and telling detained activists from a flotilla of boats that tried to get past Israel's blockade of Gaza they should remain in prison for a "long, long time".

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