The Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, has expressed this Friday deep concern over the "humiliating" treatment that activists from the flotilla bound for Gaza allegedly received during their detention by Israeli authorities, and has insisted that those responsible must be brought to justice.
"We are very concerned," said his spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, when asked about the allegations of physical and sexual abuse made by several members of this humanitarian mission, which was intercepted earlier this week by Israel in international waters of the Mediterranean Sea.
Guterres' representative alluded to the video released on Wednesday by Israel's Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, in which detained and handcuffed activists are seen being reprimanded, images that have sparked strong controversy in the international community and within the European Union, where countries like Spain and Italy have called for sanctions against the minister.
"It is enough to see the video published by an Israeli minister, which shows the humiliating treatment that the detained people from the flotilla received. It is necessary that - in the case of those who have not yet been released - all be released and sent home. And the people responsible for that treatment must be held accountable," Dujarric stressed at his press conference.
The Global Sumud Flotilla stated this Friday that, among its members arrested by Israeli forces, at least 15 sexual assaults and dozens of injuries have been recorded, after remaining in Israel's custody following the interception of the vessels in international waters of the Mediterranean as they were heading towards the Gaza Strip.