At a press conference in the Polish parliament, members of the Global Sumud Flotilla — a coalition of pro-Palestinian movements — called for accountability after Israeli forces intercepted all 50 vessels in the convoy last week, detaining 428 people, including Polish nationals.
Polish lawmaker Franciszek Sterczewski, who joined the flotilla last year, said a five-year entry ban on Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, issued after he posted a video mocking detained, kneeling activists in handcuffs, was "definitely not enough".
"We expect Polish and European authorities to ban and declare the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his entire government, impose an arms and trade embargo on Israel, and stop the ongoing genocide as soon as possible", Sterczewski said.
Nina Ptak, head of the Polish-Palestinian Justice Initiative "Kaktus", said two Polish citizens of Palestinian origin, together with the Kaktus Foundation and the Hind Rijab Foundation, had filed a criminal complaint on Monday alleging "international crimes, including genocide, by senior Israeli leaders, officials and military personnel who effectively created conditions in Gaza calculated to destroy its population".
The flotilla first set sail from Mediterranean ports in September 2025. The latest convoy departed from Turkey in mid-May, aiming to break Israel's blockade of Gaza and establish a humanitarian corridor. Israeli authorities have said the initiative was backed by Hamas.
Later on Wednesday, around 50 activists gathered outside the Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw, carrying Palestinian flags and banners reading "cut ties with Israel" and "stop starving Gaza".
(jh)
Source: PAP