WorldGaza flotilla activists who were detained by Israel and later pinned to the ground to the taunts of Israel's far-right police minister have been released from prison and were being deported to their countries of origin on Thursday.Treatment, taunting of activists 'abominable,' Mark Carney saysThomson Reuters · Posted: May 21, 2026 6:22 AM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 4 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.Canada summons Israeli envoy over Ben-Gvir taunting detained flotilla activists10 hours ago|Duration 2:33Canada is among the nations summoning Israeli ambassadors over a video that shows Israel's Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir seemingly taunting detained Gaza flotilla activists kneeling on the ground with their hands tied. Prime Minister Mark Carney called the video 'abominable.'Gaza flotilla activists who were detained by Israel and later pinned to the ground to the taunts of Israel's far-right police minister have been released from prison and were being deported to their countries of origin on Thursday.The activists were ‌arrested at a port in southern Israel after the Israeli navy intercepted their protest flotilla in international waters. Their treatment by police officers under Itamar Ben-Gvir's direction drew an international outcry and a rebuke from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Ben-Gvir and at least one other cabinet member in Netanyahu's government, Minister of Transport Miri Regev, posted campaign-style videos of themselves visiting the port and lambasting the protesters, attention-grabbing antics ahead of potential early elections in Israel.Flotilla organizers say they aim to break ​Israel's blockade of Gaza by delivering humanitarian assistance, something aid bodies say is still in short supply despite a U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in place since October 2025 that includes guarantees of increased aid.The flotilla departed from southern Turkey this week before being ​intercepted on Wednesday. Israel's treatment of detained Gaza flotilla members is 'abominable,' Carney saysCanadians among activists detained on Gaza flotilla after Israeli interceptionIn ⁠a statement, Israeli rights group Adalah said ⁠the estimated 430 activists had been released from prison in southern Israel and would ‌be deported via the Ramon airport near Eilat on the Red Sea.Ben-Gvir's video showed officers forcing an activist to the ground after she chants "Free, free Palestine."The video also shows dozens of detained activists kneeling in rows with their hands ‌zip-tied behind their backs, in what appears to be an outdoor Israeli port facility. In the background, soldiers armed with long guns can be seen patrolling the area from aboard a military vessel.The detention and taunting of the activists led France, Canada, Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands to summon top Israeli diplomats in their countries.Prime Minister Mark Carney called Israel's treatment of the activists "abominable." It is believed there were 12 Canadian citizens on the flotilla, though the details of their deportation weren't immediately clear. Israeli activist Zohar Chamberlain Regev, left, a member of a flotilla bound for Gaza and one of dozens of activists that were detained when the flotilla was intercepted by Israeli forces, arrives at the Ashkelon Trial Court in Ashkelon in southern Israel on Thursday to face charges. (Jack Guez/AFP/Getty Images)Canada and Spain are among countries that have previously imposed sanctions on Ben-Gvir and far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, citing allegations that they incited violence against Palestinians, including also in the West Bank.French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said that whatever one thinks of the flotilla, "our compatriots who are participating in it must be treated with respect and released ⁠as quickly as possible." Past flotillas — which have also included Canadian citizens— were also intercepted by Israel, with participants later deported.WATCH | Treatment 'deeply troubling':Canada summons Israeli envoy over Ben-Gvir taunting detained flotilla activists10 hours ago|Duration 2:33Canada is among the nations summoning Israeli ambassadors over a video that shows Israel's Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir seemingly taunting detained Gaza flotilla activists kneeling on the ground with their hands tied. Prime Minister Mark Carney called the video 'abominable.'Netanyahu rebukes Ben-GvirTurkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said his country was conducting special flights that would bring Turkish citizens as well as third-country participants to Turkey. Those on board the flotilla included citizens of Spain, South Korea and Ireland."We will continue to uphold the rights of our citizens and fulfill our humanitarian responsibility toward civilians in Gaza," Fidan said.People take part in a protest demanding the release of detained Gaza flotilla activists, among them several Mexicans, outside the Israeli embassy in Mexico City on Wednesday. (Luis Cortes/Reuters)Spain's foreign minister ⁠said its diplomats in Israel had been informed that some 44 Spanish flotilla members would depart from Israel.During Israel's two-year military assault in Gaza, launched after the October 2023 Hamas attacks, Israeli troops frequently lined up detained Palestinians on the ground, with their hands bound."Look at them now. See how they look now, not heroes and not anything," Ben-Gvir ​says in the video as he walks by the activists while carrying a large Israeli flag.Posting her own video at Ashdod port, Minister of Transport Miri Regev, a member of Netanyahu's political party, said: "This is what should be ⁠done to supporters of terror who came to break the siege on Gaza."Boats belonging to the Global Sumud Flotilla are shown on May 14 departing for Gaza from the port of Marmaris, Turkey. (Murat Kocabas/The Associated Press)Netanyahu, who leads the most right-wing government in Israel's history, said Ben-Gvir's conduct was "not ⁠in line with Israel's values and norms." The U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, said he "betrayed [the] dignity of his nation."Ben-Gvir's political base includes some of Israel's ⁠most nationalist voters, ⁠a bloc that Netanyahu's Likud party has in the past ​tried to woo ahead of national elections, the next of which is due by Oct. 27.This week, Israel moved closer to a snap election after lawmakers gave an ​initial nod to dissolve parliament, with opinion polls ⁠showing Netanyahu would lose the first national vote since the 2023 Hamas attacks.