Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir threatened detained Global Sumud Flotilla activists, as Israeli forces seized all Gaza-bound vessels and detainees launched a hunger strike.

The International Committee to Break the Siege on Gaza condemned on Friday Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir after a video showed him confronting Global Sumud Flotilla activists detained in international waters and labeling them “terrorists.”

In a statement on X, the Committee said, “It is not surprising for the criminals of genocide to send their minister swaggering before activists from 50 countries around the world, surrounded by his guards. What is surprising is that, despite controlling the image at that moment, they could not record more than 25 seconds without hearing the chant, ‘Freedom for Palestine,’ from the participants.”

BREAKING‼️

Ben Gvir appears in a video oppressing members of the Global Sumud Flotilla, humiliating them and accusing them of terrorism, after they were kidnapped on their way to Gaza. pic.twitter.com/SA2u8ihTSp

— Ahmed (@a7mgaza) October 2, 2025

The Committee added that the activists’ chants “shattered the ears” of Ben-Gvir and praised the detainees for demonstrating the same defiance and resilience that had marked their month-long voyage towards Gaza. 

“Freedom for Palestine. Stop the genocide. Break the siege,” the statement concluded.

Israeli forces attacked the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters on Thursday, seizing most of the 44 boats and detaining more than 150 activists from around the world. The Flotilla sought to challenge Israel’s blockade on Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid.

Late on Friday, Israeli naval forces attacked the last remaining Gaza-bound vessel, the Marinette, in international waters at 10:29 local time (07:29 GMT), about 42.5 nautical miles from Gaza, according to organizers.

In a statement on X, the Flotilla organizers said, “Israeli soldiers have boarded the Marinette of #GlobalSumudFlotilla and taken the activists captive. The live stream ended abruptly after a soldier smashed the camera upon boarding.”

The moment Israeli naval forces struck the “Marinet,” a ship carrying food and medicine, far from the shores of the besieged and starving Gaza Strip. pic.twitter.com/vjRt148lRn

— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) October 3, 2025

In a separate statement, the initiative added: “Over 38 hours, Israeli occupation naval forces illegally intercepted all 42 of our vessels—each carrying humanitarian aid, volunteers, and the determination to break Israel’s illegal siege on Gaza.”

Meanwhile, detainees from the Global Sumud Flotilla have launched an open-ended hunger strike since being taken into custody, the International Committee to Break the Siege on Gaza said on Friday. Several activists announced that they began refusing food from the moment of their detention.

Israel has maintained a blockade on Gaza—home to nearly 2.4 million people—for almost 18 years. With US support, Israel has also waged a war of extermination in Gaza since October 7, 2023, killing more than 66,000 Palestinians and wounding around 169,000 others, most of them women and children. A man-made famine has already claimed 455 lives, including 151 children.

UN agencies and human rights groups have repeatedly warned that Gaza is being rendered uninhabitable, with starvation and disease spreading at an alarming speed.

(PC, AA)