Germany ‘condemns’ Israel’s mistreatment of Gaza aid flotilla activists

Germany on Friday demanded "clarification" from Israel on the mistreatment of German activists of the Gaza aid flotilla, calling "the accusations absolutely serious."

“The treatment of the activists, including German citizens—as we only learned yesterday—is, in our view, also totally unacceptable. We unequivocally condemn this action and demand transparency in the investigation,” said a Foreign Ministry spokesman, Josef Hinterseher, at a press briefing in Berlin.

“From our perspective, the allegations that have been raised are extremely serious, and for that reason we expect a thorough and transparent investigation,” he added.

Hinterseher said eight German activists of the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla, who had also suffered injuries, landed in Istanbul Thursday evening.

One person was hospitalized in Istanbul, according to the spokesperson.

The German diplomat stressed that the German activists of the Gaza aid flotilla were denied consular access when detained illegally by Israel.

Hinterseher also criticized Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir for mistreating Gaza aid flotilla activists after their illegal detention, calling it “unacceptable behavior.”

"What I would like to emphasize here is that ensuring our citizens are treated with dignity is our top priority,” he said.

Ben-Gvir posted a video on social media Wednesday showing himself taunting pro-Palestinian activists who were zip-tied and forced to kneel after being detained by Israeli forces in international waters.

The minister sparked outrage both domestically and internationally after posting the minute-long video.