Anand says Canadians subject to ‘appalling abuse’ after flotilla detained by Israel

Activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla comfort each other upon their arrival at Istanbul Airport, in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, May 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

OTTAWA — Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said Friday she had received details from her officials in Turkiye about “appalling abuse” suffered by Canadians who were on board a flotilla trying to reach Gaza.

She said in a social media post the 12 Canadians on the Global Sumud Flotilla had all arrived in Turkiye and were receiving “urgent medical care.”

“Canada unequivocally condemns the grave mistreatment of Canadians in Israel. Those responsible for this egregious abuse must be held accountable,” Anand said.

“We will continue to provide additional information as it becomes available.”

• READ MORE: Israel begins deporting hundreds of flotilla activists

Anand provided no details of the accounts of abuse, and Israeli prison officials have denied any abuse.

Safa Chebbi, a Canadian who was on the flotilla and spent four days in Israeli captivity, said she has bruises on her knees and forehead, her hijab was pulled off and she was forced to sleep with her hands tied behind her back in a room with lights on. 

Israeli forces also shot rubber bullets at her boat during the interception, Chebbi said.

She said she spent more than two days in a vessel prison after being detained and eventually ended up in a prison in Israel. 

“The next part is always more violent than the one before,” she said in an interview on Friday.

Chebbi said soldiers took off most of the detainees’ clothing, leaving them only with one layer on cold nights.

The Canadians were among 420 individuals on 41 boats intercepted by Israel as they attempted to bring a symbolic amount of aid to Gaza amid Israel’s restrictions.

There has been a widespread outcry after Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir published video of him taunting the activists, while they were kneeling, faces to the ground, with their hands bound. 

Chebbi, who is also a spokesperson for the Global Sumud Flotilla, said she was among those forced to kneel. 

“We must keep our head on the floor, and if you try to understand what’s happening around you or to see … they beat you, and they push your head on the floor,” she said. 

All activists were taken to hospital for treatment after arriving in Turkiye. Chebbi said most have since been released, but two Canadians with more serious injuries were still being treated in hospital as of Friday afternoon. 

Chebbi said she and other Canadians were waiting for their flights back home. 

Canada joined several other countries, including France, Italy and Netherlands in condemning Ben-Gvir’s actions and summoning ambassadors. Anand told reporters on Wednesday her officials had summoned Iddo Moed, the Israeli ambassador in Canada.

A Global Affairs Canada official confirmed Moed did meet with Canadian officials in Ottawa but provided no details of who he met with or when the meeting took place. The Israeli embassy told The Canadian Press on Thursday the ambassador had no comment about the summons.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday he ordered the activists’ deportation “as soon as possible” and rebuked Ben-Gvir over the video. Netanyahu said although Israel has every right to stop “provocative flotillas of Hamas terrorist supporters,” Ben-Gvir’s treatment of the activists was “not in line with Israel’s values and norms.”

Israel has also called the flotilla “a PR stunt at the service of Hamas” with no real intent to deliver aid to Gaza. 

Israeli prison officials denied any abusive behaviour as some flotilla members began speaking publicly about the events on the boats.

Two Italian citizens who had returned to Italy Thursday also said they had been beaten and mistreated.

Dario Carotenuto, an Italian lawmaker, said he experienced the “longest seconds” of his life when Israeli forces pointed rifles at activists inside a detention facility.

“They kicked me in the legs and punched me in the face,” said Alessandro Mantovani, an Italian newspaper journalist.

Zivan Freidin, a spokesperson for the Israeli Prison Service, said the allegations were “false and entirely without factual basis.”

Aid groups say Israel has blocked assistance from reaching Gaza, where a humanitarian crisis has erupted following the extended war launched by Israel after the Hamas attack in Oct. 2023.

The Israeli Defense Force denies blocking aid, insisting it has only blocked assistance from organizations which refused to provide security information about their workers and partnerships. The IDF, in a statement on its website, said aid is entering Gaza at the highest rate since the latest war began, and accused Hamas of infiltrating some aid organizations.

This week, the U.S. Treasury imposed sanctions against several European activists aboard the flotilla, which U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called “pro-terror.” Last year, Israeli authorities blocked a similar attempt involving some 500 activists.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 21, 2026

The Canadian Press