TEHRAN – The Iranian Foreign Ministry has strongly denounced the Israeli regime’s “brutal and inhumane” treatment of hundreds of international activists aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla, a humanitarian mission that sought to break Tel Aviv’s years-long blockade of the Gaza Strip.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei issued a statement on Saturday, condemning the violent detention of the activists by Israeli forces and their transfer to the notorious Ktzi’ot Prison, which he called a “symbol of torture and inhumane treatment” of Palestinian prisoners.

Baqaei said the flotilla participants—representing dozens of nations—had embarked on a peaceful mission to deliver aid and highlight the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, yet were met with violence and humiliation. He cited reports of repeated insults and verbal abuse by Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who labeled the activists “terrorists.” Such conduct, he said, reflected “the moral collapse of the Zionist regime.”

According to the spokesman, it was in fact the Israeli authorities’ violent behavior toward the participants that constituted a “terrorist act.”

The flotilla, which had set sail from Barcelona late last month, was the largest international maritime effort in decades to challenge Israel’s blockade on Gaza—described by human rights organizations as one of the harshest in modern history.

On Friday, the Israeli navy intercepted the final vessel of the flotilla, detaining its passengers and drawing widespread international condemnation. Participants reported being threatened and harassed, with several alleging physical abuse during the raid. Among those reportedly targeted was climate activist Greta Thunberg, who was said to have been manhandled by Israeli forces.

Baqaei noted that citizens from at least 44 countries took part in the campaign, urging all governments and the United Nations to demand the activists’ immediate release and hold Israel accountable for its actions.

He said Tel Aviv’s confrontation with the flotilla was part of its broader policy of extending the siege and famine it has imposed on Gaza, calling the blockade a deliberate attempt to “starve and subdue an entire population.”

The spokesman also condemned the continued support of the United States and several Western governments for Israel amid its ongoing assault on Gaza since October 2023, which is a “war of genocide.”

Baqaei stressed that the international community bears both a legal and moral responsibility to stop the genocide, bring the perpetrators to justice, and support efforts to lift the blockade on Gaza.