France has barred Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir from entering the country following outrage over a video showing detained activists from a Gaza-bound aid flotilla. The move adds to growing European pressure on Israel over the war in Gaza and the treatment of humanitarian campaigners…reports Asian Lite News Desk
France has banned Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir from entering the country following widespread criticism over a video showing the treatment of activists detained during the interception of a Gaza-bound aid flotilla.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot announced the decision on Saturday, saying Ben-Gvir was barred from French territory because of his “reprehensible actions toward French and European citizens” who were part of the humanitarian convoy.
Posting on X, Barrot also said France and Italy were calling for European Union-level sanctions against the far-right Israeli minister.
The decision follows international criticism after Ben-Gvir published a video earlier this week showing foreign activists being detained by Israeli forces after their flotilla was intercepted in international waters.
The footage showed dozens of activists kneeling with their foreheads to the ground and their hands tied. The video, captioned “Welcome to Israel,” also showed Ben-Gvir waving an Israeli flag and mocking those detained.
Several French nationals were among the activists aboard the flotilla, which had attempted to deliver aid to Gaza in defiance of Israel’s blockade of the territory.
French officials said the entry ban formed part of a broader response to actions they believed undermined humanitarian operations and endangered civilians involved in aid efforts.
Spain has also urged the European Union to impose sanctions on Ben-Gvir, while the United Kingdom summoned Israel’s most senior diplomat in London over what British officials described as “the inflammatory video.”
The diplomatic fallout has intensified pressure on Israel from several European governments amid mounting concern over the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the treatment of activists and aid groups attempting to reach the territory.
Ben-Gvir condemned France’s decision and accused the country of siding with “terror supporters”. He defended Israel’s actions and said the country would continue preventing attempts to breach the naval blockade on Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu distanced himself from the video, saying Ben-Gvir’s conduct towards the activists was “not in line with Israel’s values and norms.”
However, Netanyahu also criticised the flotilla mission itself, describing it as a “malicious scheme” intended to support Hamas.
The activists had departed from Turkiye last week aboard around 50 vessels organised under the Global Sumud Flotilla initiative. The mission aimed to deliver humanitarian assistance to Gaza and draw attention to conditions inside the territory during the ongoing conflict.
Israeli forces intercepted the convoy before it could reach Gaza and transported those detained to the southern Israeli port of Ashdod, where they awaited deportation proceedings.
It was the latest attempt by international activists to challenge Israel’s blockade of Gaza. Israeli authorities intercepted a previous aid convoy last month in similar circumstances.
The incident has further strained relations between Israel and several European countries, with disagreements deepening over humanitarian access to Gaza, civilian protections and the conduct of Israeli ministers during the conflict.
France’s decision to ban a serving Israeli cabinet minister marks a rare diplomatic step by a major European power and reflects growing divisions between Israel and some of its international allies over the handling of the war and its wider political consequences.
