France summons Israeli envoy over Ben Gvir’s Gaza flotilla footage; Irish FM says she’s ‘appalled’

Amid a growing wave of international condemnations, France summons Israel’s envoy over National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s posting of a video where he taunts detained activists from the Gaza flotilla, while Ireland’s Foreign Minister calls for the immediate release of Irish activists in response to the footage.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot says he ordered Israel’s ambassador to be summoned “to express our indignation and obtain explanations,” in a French-language post on X. “Whatever one may think of this flotilla — and we have repeatedly expressed our disapproval of this initiative — our citizens participating in it must be treated with respect and released as soon as possible,” Barrot adds.

In another statement, Irish Foreign Minister Helen McEntee says she is “appalled and shocked by the video footage” posted by Ben Gvir, “in which illegally detained participants of the Global Sumud Flotilla, including Irish citizens, are not in any way being treated with appropriate dignity or respect.”

“Ireland’s Ambassador to Israel has demanded immediate assurances that the welfare and wellbeing of all Irish citizens is safeguarded and that they are afforded all the protections that they are entitled to under international law. I have also demanded their immediate release,” McEntee says.

In the footage shared by Ben Gvir, which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar have condemned, activists are seen kneeling with their hands tied and being physically restrained by Israeli security forces.