Two Cypriot political parties have called on the government to take action following the alleged interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters off Cyprus and the emergence of images showing detained activists being made to kneel while Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir mocked them.
The Ecologists – Citizens’ Cooperation and AKEL both issued statements condemning the interception and demanding the immediate release of those detained. The European Commission described the treatment of the activists as “completely unacceptable,” the Ecologists noted.
The Ecologists’ Secretary of International Relations, Alexia Sakadaki, said the interception was not a routine maritime incident but a stark reminder that international law and humanitarian action were being applied selectively depending on who was violating them and who chose to stay silent. She said Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar had themselves distanced from Ben-Gvir’s conduct, and argued that when the Israeli government was forced to rebuke its own minister, the EU could not limit itself to lukewarm statements.
Sakadaki said Cyprus, as a country with first-hand experience of occupation and violations of international law, bore a particular responsibility — and that responsibility was even greater given the island’s upcoming EU Council Presidency. Silence in such moments, she said, was not neutrality but a choice. She called on the government to seek a full briefing on the conditions of the interception, the situation of the detained volunteers, and their access to medical, legal and consular support.
One vessel from the flotilla, the Vivy Sabre, is currently docked at Paphos harbour after developing a technical fault and requiring medical assistance for those on board. An Ecologists delegation led by Paphos-Limassol Regional Secretary Andreas Evlavis visited the vessel and delivered food and other essential supplies to the volunteers.
AKEL also condemned the interception, saying the world had watched in shock as Ben-Gvir publicly advertised what it called the inhumane treatment of the activists he had detained. The party called for the immediate release of all detainees as well as all Palestinian political prisoners, and demanded an end to the siege of Gaza, an end to what it described as ethnic cleansing and settlement activity, and an end to the occupation of Palestine. AKEL called on the Christodoulides government to condemn the genocide and to support the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement.
The interception allegedly took place in international waters off Cyprus. Flotilla organisers have previously alleged that Israeli forces operated within Cyprus’s Search and Rescue (SAR) zone, claiming this triggered legal obligations on the Cypriot government to protect civilians on board. Republic of Cyprus authorites said they received no distress signal from the Global Sumud Flotilla requiring the activation of search and rescue procedures.
The Cyprus Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday issued a condemnation of Ben Gvir’s conduct. In a post on X, it said: “The acts displayed by Minister Ben Gvir towards flotilla participants are utterly unacceptable and inconsistent with democratic norms and fundamental values of human dignity”.
It added: “While the statements issued by Israeli government members distancing themselves from such disrespectful conduct are noted, rectifying steps should be taken immediately. Such condemnable behaviour can never be tolerated and should be duly accounted for”.
The Global Sumud Flotilla set out from Italy in April with more than 50 vessels aiming to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid. Israeli forces have carried out a series of interceptions across the Mediterranean, using drones, communications jamming and armed boarding parties. Two flotilla leaders were detained and taken to Israel following an earlier interception.
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