RUSSIA PERSPECTIVE

Moscow, May 20, 2026. The interception of a humanitarian flotilla bound for Gaza by Israeli forces, followed by the publication of a video by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, has sparked a wave of diplomatic condemnations that the state-run RT has covered closely, focusing on the cracks within the Israeli government itself.

According to RT, some 430 militants from over 40 countries were detained after the ships, which departed from Turkey with humanitarian aid, were intercepted at sea. Ben-Gvir then posted a video on X showing detainees on their knees, hands bound, mocking them and asking Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to keep them in detention "for very, very long time."

The Italian reaction has taken center stage in RT's coverage. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, a former unconditional supporter of Israel after the Hamas attacks in October 2023, summoned the Israeli ambassador to Rome to obtain "formal clarifications." In a firm statement, Meloni deemed Ben-Gvir's behavior "unacceptable" and "an affront to human dignity," demanding the immediate release of Italian nationals detained and official apologies for "total contempt shown towards explicit requests from the Italian government."

Meloni's reversal is presented by RT as significant: the right-wing leader, long aligned with Israeli positions within the European Union, has now declared that Israel has exceeded "the principle of proportionality" and characterized the humanitarian situation in Gaza as "unacceptable."

RT also highlights Netanyahu's belated and partial distancing from his own minister. According to the article, the Prime Minister stated that Ben-Gvir's conduct towards the activists "is not in line with the values and norms of the State of Israel," while Foreign Minister Gideon Saar estimated that Ben-Gvir had caused "harm" to Israel through his "shameful behavior." This sequence – a minister publishes the video, the government takes its distance – is highlighted as evidence of a weakened central authority.

From the Israeli side, officials have described the flotilla as a "PR stunt for Hamas." This argument is reported by RT without further development, allowing European declarations to dominate the narrative framing.