By SCM Correspondent
ROME — Italian prosecutors have placed Israel’s far-right National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, under formal criminal investigation following allegations of kidnapping and torture involving international humanitarian activists detained during a recent naval raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla.
The investigation, led by the Rome Public Prosecutor’s Office, has been quietly underway for “several weeks,” according to Italian judicial sources and first reported by the Italian news agency ANSA.
The legal probe marks an escalation in European judicial scrutiny over Israeli officials’ conduct, building on an initial inquiry opened after the interception of the “Global Sumud” solidarity fleet in international waters.
The focal point of the investigation centers on a highly controversial video posted to social media by Mr. Ben-Gvir’s office.
The footage captured the minister walking through the Port of Ashdod, filming and openly mocking dozens of detained global activists—including several Italian nationals—who were forced to kneel in tightly packed rows on the asphalt with their hands zip-tied behind their backs. In one clip, an activist was forced to the ground after chanting “Free Palestine” while Mr. Ben-Gvir waved an Israeli flag over the detainees.
Italian prosecutors are weighing severe charges, including unlawful detention, violations of maritime navigation laws, and torture under international legal frameworks.
The backlash within Italy has been swift and cross-partisan. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani issued sharp rebukes, calling the broadcasted images of bound citizens “unacceptable and degrading to human dignity.”
Rome formally summoned the Israeli ambassador to demand immediate clarifications regarding the treatment of its citizens.
Mr. Ben-Gvir responded to the investigation with characteristic defiance, provoking a fresh diplomatic spat. Writing on social media, the far-right minister remarked that Italy, historically known as “the Boot,” had instead become “the land of flip-flops.”
He added: “Israel is not a punching bag for a bunch of lying terrorism supporters who fabricate slander against our fighters.”
Foreign Minister Tajani fired back on Tuesday, calling Ben-Gvir’s remarks “unacceptable and unworthy of a minister,” adding that the comments “demonstrate the moral standing of this gentleman.”
The incident has exposed deep, internal fractures within the Israeli government. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office immediately distanced itself from the footage. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar publicly condemned Mr. Ben-Gvir on social media, writing: “You knowingly caused harm to our state in this disgraceful display. You have undone tremendous, professional, and successful efforts… No, you are not the face of Israel.”
The Israel Prison Service and the Israel Defense Forces have firmly rejected all allegations of abuse, labeling the claims of torture as groundless fabrications engineered to defame the state.
The crisis arrives at an incredibly delicate geopolitical moment. The Global Sumud Flotilla, carrying hundreds of activists from countries including Italy, France, and South Korea, set sail in an attempt to breach Israel’s naval blockade of the Gaza Strip and deliver humanitarian aid.
The naval interception occurred despite an ongoing, fragile U.S.-brokered ceasefire that has been in place since October 2025—an agreement meant to guarantee a significant increase in overland and maritime aid to the battered enclave.
This is not an isolated legal challenge for Jerusalem. Italy is the second European nation to open a formal judicial inquiry into the raid; last week, France’s National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office launched its own preliminary investigation into allegations of war crimes and torture regarding French nationals aboard the vessels.
Furthermore, the European Union is currently debating targeted sanctions against Mr. Ben-Gvir.
France has already taken unilateral action by banning the National Security Minister from entering its territory, signaling a profound shift in how European allies are choosing to address the most radical factions of Israel’s governing coalition.
