The games are over. They are treated the same as terrorists.
437 activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla are detained at Saharonim prison in Israel under terrorist designation. Ben Gvir claims activists receive same minimal conditions as convicted terrorists and denies humanitarian cargo was aboard vessels.
- 437 activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla detained at Saharonim prison in Israel
- Classified and treated as terrorists under Israeli security minister's directive
- Ben Gvir denied humanitarian cargo was aboard the vessels despite activist video evidence
- Minister stated activists should remain imprisoned for months as a deterrent
Israeli Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir released videos showing 437 detained humanitarian flotilla activists held in prison under terrorist classification, claiming they receive minimal conditions and denying the vessels carried aid supplies.
On social media, videos began circulating showing Itamar Ben Gvir, Israel's National Security Minister, walking through the corridors of Saharonim prison with a camera crew. He was there to make a point about 437 activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla, who had been detained after their ships were intercepted attempting to deliver humanitarian supplies to Gaza. The minister's message was unambiguous: these people would be treated exactly as the state treats those it classifies as terrorists.
Ben Gvir, known for his far-right positions, used the prison tour to broadcast his approach to the detained activists. In the footage, he moves through the facility explaining that the flotilla members now occupy the same cells, under the same conditions, as prisoners convicted of terrorism offenses. "The games are over," he says in the video. "They are treated the same as terrorists. That means the bare minimum. That is what I promised and that is what I will do." The statement was not a threat wrapped in bureaucratic language—it was a direct declaration of policy, delivered on camera from inside a prison.
In a second video, Ben Gvir stands before the detained activists themselves and repeats the characterization: these are terrorists from the flotilla. He accuses them of supporting murderers and of intending to aid the terrorists of Gaza rather than Palestinian civilians. The framing collapses any distinction between humanitarian workers and armed combatants, treating the act of delivering aid as equivalent to violence.
The minister went further in his denial of what the ships actually carried. He insisted there was no humanitarian cargo aboard at all—no medical supplies, no food. Instead, he described the entire operation as "one big party." This claim contradicted video evidence the activists themselves had recorded and shared, which showed the vessels loaded with supplies. Ben Gvir's assertion was not presented as interpretation but as fact, delivered with the authority of a government minister speaking from inside a prison.
In earlier statements, Ben Gvir had articulated an even harsher vision. He said the activists should remain imprisoned in Israel for months, long enough to become accustomed to what he called "the smell of the terrorist wing." He also argued against releasing them to their home countries, suggesting that doing so would only encourage them to return and attempt the same missions again. The logic was punitive and deterrent at once: imprisonment not as a legal consequence but as a conditioning mechanism.
The detention of 437 people and the public statements by a senior government official defending their treatment under terrorist classification marked a significant moment in how Israel's government was choosing to characterize and handle those attempting to move aid into Gaza. The videos were not leaked or obtained through investigation—they were released deliberately, as a form of public communication. Ben Gvir was not hiding his position; he was broadcasting it.
Citas Notables
The games are over. They are treated the same as terrorists. That means the bare minimum.— Itamar Ben Gvir, Israeli National Security Minister, in video from Saharonim prison
There was no humanitarian aid on the ship. It was one big party.— Ben Gvir, denying the presence of medical supplies and food aboard the flotilla vessels
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why would a government minister make videos inside a prison to defend how detainees are being treated?
Because the detention itself was controversial. These were humanitarian workers, not armed fighters. By releasing the videos, Ben Gvir was trying to control the narrative—to say this is not a problem, this is policy, and it's justified.
But he's claiming there was no aid on the ships. The activists have their own video evidence. Why make a claim that can be so easily contradicted?
Because the audience he's speaking to may not see the activists' videos. He's speaking to a domestic Israeli audience, to people who already view Gaza aid efforts with suspicion. For them, the minister's word carries weight.
The phrase about the "smell of the terrorist wing"—that's not just harsh, it's almost theatrical. What's he trying to accomplish?
He's signaling that this is not a legal process with proportional consequences. It's about making the experience so unpleasant that people won't try again. It's deterrence through degradation.
Does calling them terrorists actually change their legal status, or is it just rhetoric?
In practice, it changes everything. If they're classified as terrorists, the conditions of detention, the length of imprisonment, the restrictions on legal representation—all of it becomes harder to challenge. The label does the work.
What happens to these 437 people now?
That's the open question. They're detained, they're classified as terrorists, and a senior minister has publicly committed to keeping them in harsh conditions. International pressure might eventually force their release, but in the immediate term, they're in a legal and political space where the government has already decided their fate.