Activists call on feds to put pressure on Israel over treatment of Gaza aid flotilla

OTTAWA — Canadian activists detained by Israel last month while taking part in an aid flotilla trying to reach Gaza say Canada isn’t doing enough to call out treatment by Israeli officials that Ottawa has called appalling.

Prime Minister Mark Carney and Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand have both called on Israel to launch an independent investigation into how Israeli officials treated the activists, who said they were beaten, deprived of essentials and forced into painful positions.

Activist flotillas have repeatedly tried to reach the Gaza Strip to draw attention to tight restrictions on humanitarian supplies reaching Palestinians.

Israel has intercepted these boats, often in international waters.