JERUSALEM / ISTANBUL

Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir boasted Sunday about the harsh prison conditions and mistreatment of international activists detained from a Gaza aid flotilla.

Ben-Gvir said he visited the Ketziot Prison in the Negev desert in southern Israel to ensure that the detained activists “receive no special treatment.”

I “was proud that we treat flotilla activists as terror supporters,” he said in comments carried by the daily Yedioth Ahronoth.

“They should feel what the conditions in Ketziot Prison are like, and think twice before approaching Israel again. That’s how it works.”

“I am proud of the officers of the Israel Prison Service (IPS) who acted in accordance with the policy set by [IPS Chief Commissioner] Kobi Yaakobi and me,” he said.

The extremist minister claimed that he had visited the flotilla and “didn’t see humanitarian aid or compassion.”

“If any of them thought they would come here and be greeted with a red carpet and fanfare, they were mistaken,” he added.

Several activists released from Israeli detention reported mistreatment and inhumane conditions while in prison, including Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg, who remains in Israeli custody.

Israeli naval forces intercepted and seized vessels of the Global Sumud Flotilla late Wednesday, detaining more than 470 activists from over 50 countries. The convoy aimed to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza and challenge.

Israel's blockade of the enclave, which faces severe famine conditions.

Since October 2023, Israeli bombardments have killed more than 67,100 Palestinians in Gaza, mostly women and children. These attacks have made the enclave uninhabitable, while the ongoing blockade has further pushed the population toward famine.