Italy Calls In Israeli Ambassador Over Flotilla Activist Abuse

(MENAFN) Italy moved swiftly Wednesday to summon the Israeli ambassador following the seizure of a Gaza-bound aid flotilla, with senior government officials condemning the treatment of activists — including numerous Italian nationals — as flatly "unacceptable."

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani issued a rare joint statement, pulling no punches in their condemnation. "The images of Israeli Minister Ben Gvir are unacceptable. It is unacceptable that these protesters, including many Italian citizens, are subjected to this treatment that violates their human dignity," the two said in a joint statement.

Rome declared it was acting at the highest institutional levels to secure the immediate release of its citizens caught up in the incident, while simultaneously demanding a formal apology from Israel over what it characterized as deliberate disregard for its prior diplomatic requests.

"For these reasons, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation will immediately summon the Israeli ambassador to request formal clarification on what happened," the statement added.

The crisis escalated after the Global Sumud Flotilla confirmed that all 50 vessels in its humanitarian convoy had been seized by Israeli forces. The flotilla carried 428 passengers representing 44 nations, having departed from the Turkish district of Marmaris in a renewed effort to pierce what organizers called the illegal Israeli blockade on Gaza — in place since 2007.

Wednesday's confrontation was not an isolated event. In late April, Israeli military forces intercepted flotilla vessels in international waters near the Greek island of Crete, in an earlier operation involving 345 participants from 39 countries, among them Turkish citizens.

The broader humanitarian crisis underpinning the flotilla's mission remains catastrophic. Israel's blockade, now entering its 18th year, has pushed Gaza's 2.4 million residents to the brink of famine. Since launching its military offensive in October 2023, the Israeli army has killed more than 72,000 people and wounded upward of 172,000 others, leaving vast swaths of the besieged enclave in ruins.

MENAFN20052026000045017169ID1111144208