More than 50 boats taking part in the flotilla set sail from Turkey last Thursday.
On Monday morning, armed Israeli naval commandos began intercepting the fleet in international waters west of Cyprus, about 250 nautical miles (460km) from the coast of Gaza, which is under an Israeli maritime blockade.
The GSF’s organisers said all the boats had been intercepted by Tuesday evening, with one managing to get within 80 nautical miles of the Palestinian territory.
They accused Israel of an “illegal, high-seas aggression” and said Israeli commandos had opened fire at six boats, used water cannon, and intentionally rammed one vessel.
The Israeli foreign ministry said no live ammunition was used and insisted it would “not permit any breach of the lawful naval blockade on Gaza”.
The ministry also said that all the activists had been transferred to Israeli vessels and that they would be allowed to meet their consular representatives after arriving in Israel.
On Wednesday morning, Israeli rights group Adalah said the activists were being “taken into Israeli territory entirely against their will” and detained at Ashdod port.
“The legal team will challenge the legality of these detentions and demand the immediate release of all flotilla participants,” it added.
In the afternoon, Ben-Gvir – an ultra-nationalist who, as national security minister, oversees Israel’s police force – posted a video on social media, captioned “Welcome to Israel”, which showed him visiting a detention facility where the activists are being held.
He is seen encouraging security personnel as they push down a female activist who shouts “Free, Free, Palestine” as he walks past her.
Ben-Gvir is then shown waving a large Israeli flag next to dozens of activists kneeling on the ground with their hands tied behind their backs. He tells them in Hebrew: “Welcome to Israel. We are the masters.”
Other activists are shown kneeling on the deck of a ship as the Israeli national anthem is played.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called the video “unacceptable” and demanded an apology.
“It is intolerable that these protesters, among whom there are many Italian citizens, are subjected to this treatment, which violates human dignity,” Meloni said in a statement.
“Italy also demands an apology for the treatment inflicted on these demonstrators and for the total disregard shown towards the explicit requests of the Italian government.”
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot also said Ben Gvir’s actions were unacceptable.
“Whatever one thinks of this flotilla… our nationals who took part in it must be treated with respect and released as soon as possible,” he added.
Adalah said the footage demonstrated that Israel was “employing a criminal policy of abuse and humiliation against activists”.
