France has announced a ban on Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir from entering the country following widespread outrage over his treatment of pro-Palestinian activists detained from a Gaza-bound aid flotilla.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot disclosed the decision on Saturday, accusing the far-right Israeli minister of engaging in “reprehensible actions” against French and European citizens aboard the humanitarian convoy.
“From today, Itamar Ben Gvir is banned from entering French territory,” Barrot said in a statement posted on X, adding that France and Italy were also pushing for European Union sanctions against the Israeli official.
The diplomatic row erupted after Ben Gvir shared a controversial video on Wednesday showing activists detained by Israeli forces after their flotilla was intercepted in international waters while heading toward Gaza.
The footage showed dozens of activists kneeling with their foreheads on the ground and their hands restrained. Ben Gvir was seen mocking the detainees while waving an Israeli flag in a clip captioned “Welcome to Israel.”
The video sparked international condemnation, prompting Israeli authorities to later announce the deportation of the activists.
Among those aboard the flotilla were 36 French nationals. The convoy, organised under the Global Sumud Flotilla initiative, consisted of about 50 vessels that departed from Turkey last week in an attempt to challenge Israel’s blockade of Gaza.
Although France criticised the flotilla mission, describing it as ineffective, Barrot insisted that the treatment of the activists was unacceptable.
“We cannot tolerate French nationals being threatened, intimidated or brutalised in this way, especially by a public official,” he said.
The controversy has intensified pressure on Israel from European allies. Spain has also called on the European Union to impose sanctions on Ben Gvir, while the United Kingdom summoned Israel’s top diplomat in London over what it described as the minister’s “inflammatory” conduct.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu distanced himself from the incident, saying the treatment of the activists was “not in line with Israel’s values and norms,” though he stopped short of removing Ben Gvir from office.
Netanyahu had earlier condemned the aid mission as a “malicious scheme” aimed at supporting Hamas.
Israel has maintained a blockade on Gaza since 2007 and controls all access points into the territory. The ongoing war in Gaza has led to severe shortages of food, medicine and humanitarian supplies, with aid deliveries repeatedly disrupted.
The latest interception follows a similar incident last month when another flotilla was stopped in international waters near Greece, with most activists subsequently deported to Europe.
