Yvette Cooper condemns ‘appalling’ videos of Israeli minister taunting detained British nationals in Israel
The Foreign Office is in contact with the families of British activists currently held in Israel, as Yvette Cooper strongly criticized the release of videos featuring detainees by the country’s security minister.
More than 400 people, including several British citizens and the Irish president’s sister, were detained after joining an aid flotilla trying to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza.
This latest attempt by the Global Sumud Fleet mirrors a similar attempt in 2025 when Israeli forces intercepted ships and detained those on board.
In a post on X, Yvette Cooper said: “We are in contact with the families of a number of concerned British nationals to provide them with consular support.”
Ms. Cooper also condemned videos of Israeli national security minister Iamar Ben-Gvir mocking activists detained in what appeared to be a makeshift detention area in Ashdod on the Israeli coast.
Videos released by Mr. Ben-Gvir on Wednesday also showed some activists kneeling with their hands tied behind their backs and their heads touching the ground.
“They came like great heroes,” Ben Gvir says in the video, as he walks past activists holding a large Israeli flag. “Now look at them. Look how they look now, they’re not heroes or anything.”
Ms Cooper said she was “truly appalled” by the images, adding: “This violates the most basic standards of respect and dignity for how people should be treated.”
He said; “We demanded an explanation from the Israeli authorities and made clear their obligation to protect the rights of our citizens and everyone involved.”
Mr. Ben-Gvir’s videos were condemned by the international community and rebuked by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said it was “not in line with Israeli values and norms.”
The flotilla, which set out from southern Türkiye, represented a renewed attempt to deliver vital aid to war-torn Gaza.
Organizers stated that their aim was to break Israel’s ongoing blockade of the region by providing humanitarian aid.
This comes as aid agencies continue to report serious shortfalls despite a US-brokered ceasefire that has been in place since October 2025 and includes guarantees for increased aid.
Israel claims that its naval blockade of Gaza is completely legal.
The United Kingdom imposed sanctions on Mr Ben-Gvir and fellow minister Bezalel Smotrich in June 2025 over the pair’s “repeated incitement of violence against Palestinian civilians”.
