Australia’s foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, has condemned the actions of a far-right Israeli minister who posted a video of himself abusing bound activists captured while trying to sail an aid flotilla to Gaza.Wong joined international condemnation of the footage, which shows Israel’s national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, waving an Israeli flag and mocking and taunting the detainees.Among the flotilla detainees were 11 Australian activists who were taken into custody by Israeli forces off the coast of Cyprus earlier this week. It was not known if they were present in Ben-Gvir’s video.Among the Australians is Zack Schofield, whose mother, Joanne Jaworowski, said on Thursday that Zack had committed to a hunger strike.“That makes their release even more urgent,” she said. “This vile conduct toward my son and all the unarmed humanitarian aid workers is unbearable to watch.”In a statement, Wong said: “The images we have seen are shocking and unacceptable.”“We condemn the actions of Israeli minister Ben-Gvir – who Australia has sanctioned – and the degrading actions of Israeli authorities towards those detained,” Wong said on Thursday.“I have asked Australia’s ambassador to Israel to make representations to Israel, reiterating our call for the release of the detained Australians and for Israel to ensure no ill treatment of any detainees and to act in line with international obligations.”In a post on social media, Wong added: “I have also directed Dfat [the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade] to call in Israel’s ambassador to Australia [Hillel Newman] to reinforce this message.”In the video, dozens of men and women are seen kneeling in rows, with their foreheads to the ground and their hands zip-tied behind their backs.Ben-Gvir waved an Israeli flag and shouted “welcome to Israel, we are the landlords”.“I tell prime minister Netanhyahu give them to me for much more time. Give them to us for the terrorists’ prisons,” the minister said.The Executive Council of Australian Jewry “condemned … Ben-Gvir for his humiliating and disgraceful treatment of a group of overseas anti-Israel activists who had been detained in Israel after attempting to break the blockade”.“Nothing can excuse the appalling behaviour,” the ECAJ president, Daniel Aghion, said.He argued the group had been engaged in “provocative action that would benefit Hamas” but said that did “not in any way justify their mistreatment”.The Jewish Council of Australia said Australia should go further than sanctions against Ben-Gvir – imposed in 2025 for inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank – and impose country-level sanctions and expel Israel’s ambassador.Bart Shteinman, the council’s executive officer, said the footage was “a stomach-turning display of cruelty that flies in the face of human dignity”.“Forcing humanitarian volunteers onto their knees while bound and subjected to psychological torment is completely indefensible,” Shteinman said.“We stand in solidarity with these courageous activists, including Jewish Australian Annie Mokotow, who risked their safety to challenge the illegal maritime blockade and highlight the horrific deprivation in Gaza.”