OTTAWA, May 20 (Xinhua) -- Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand said Wednesday Canada will summon the Israeli ambassador, condemning the Israeli side's taunting of detained activists from the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla.
Anand made the remarks in response to a video posted on social media by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, which showed the taunting of dozens of detained activists kneeling with their hands tied behind their backs and their heads touching the floor.
"This is a matter we take very, very seriously. It's a matter of humane treatment of civilians, and I can assure you that we are acting with absolute urgency," she said, calling the behavior "deeply troubling and absolutely unacceptable."
Organizers of the Global Sumud Flotilla said on their website that all boats in their humanitarian convoy were intercepted after Israeli naval vessels surrounded them in international waters, about 250 nautical miles (463 kilometers) from the coast of Gaza. They said that 428 activists were kidnapped by Israel.
According to Canadian media reports, 12 Canadian humanitarian volunteers were among those detained by the Israeli military. The flotilla was then carrying humanitarian aid supplies to the Gaza Strip.
Some detained Canadians launched a hunger strike during their detention to draw international attention to the catastrophic humanitarian plight facing civilians in Gaza, said the reports. ■