Italy Opens Criminal Probe into Israeli Minister Ben-Gvir over Gaza Flotilla Abuses

The Italian judiciary has placed Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir under formal investigation for alleged torture, kidnapping, and attempted murder of Italian nationals who were part of the Global Sumud Flotilla intercepted in May while attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. The Rome prosecutor's office, led by Francesco Lo Voi with prosecutors Stefano Opilio and Lucia Lotti, opened the case weeks ago under the principle of passive personality, which permits Italy to pursue grave crimes committed against its citizens abroad. The investigation draws on testimony from activists and a video that Ben-Gvir himself posted on social media, showing him mocking detainees forced to kneel with their hands bound behind their backs at the port of Ashdod.

The flotilla, comprising several vessels carrying some 430 activists from multiple countries, was boarded by Israeli forces in international waters between late April and mid-May. Those detained, including at least 27 Italians, have described severe physical and psychological abuse during interception and subsequent detention. Some accounts, cited in Russian and Italian press, allege sexualised violence. The video, in which Ben-Gvir can be heard saying “Welcome to Israel. Here we rule,” drew international condemnation and became central evidence for prosecutors in Rome and Paris.

France has mounted a parallel investigation through its National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office (Pnat), examining potential torture and war crimes against French participants. Lawyers and pro-Palestinian groups have also petitioned the International Criminal Court in The Hague to expand its existing inquiry into the Palestinian territories to include the flotilla events. Viewed from European capitals, the coordinated legal actions signal a growing willingness to apply universal jurisdiction and passive personality doctrines to senior Israeli officials, a trend that has intensified since the Gaza war.

Ben-Gvir responded with characteristic defiance, declaring he would “not shy away from one investigation or another” and would “continue to stand proudly alongside our fighters.” In a post on X, he derided Italy as “the country of the boot has become the country of flip-flops,” accusing his accusers of fabricating “calumnies and lies” on behalf of terrorism supporters. Israeli media reported the remarks with little editorial distance, while Italian outlets framed them as an insult that compounded the diplomatic affront.

The probes are unlikely to lead to Ben-Gvir’s arrest given Israel’s non-cooperation, but they carry significant symbolic and legal weight. They deepen Israel’s isolation among Western allies and test the boundaries of extraterritorial justice. Analysts in London note that the Italian and French moves, combined with ICC proceedings, create a cumulative pressure that could constrain travel for Israeli officials and shape the post-war accountability landscape. For now, the investigations mark a rare moment when European prosecutors have directly targeted a sitting Israeli minister, underscoring the erosion of diplomatic deference that once shielded such figures.