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Italian unions called a general strike on Friday to support the aid flotilla for Gaza. This was after Italy on Tuesday announced that it would stop tracking the flotilla.
Last week, Italy and Spain had deployed navy vessels to assist the flotilla after it was struck with stun grenades and irritants in international waters off Greece, allegedly by Israel.
The Israeli military personnel on Wednesday intercepted an international flotilla that was carrying medicine and food for Gaza.
According to a report by Reuters, some 20 vessels were seen approaching the flotilla earlier on Wednesday night, multiple people on board said, as passengers put on life vests and braced for a takeover.
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“Multiple vessels … were illegally intercepted and boarded by Israeli Occupation Forces in international waters,” the organisers said in a statement. “We are diligently working to account for all participants and crew.”
The Global Sumud Flotilla, an organisation trying to get aid into the besieged enclave using ships setting sail from ports across the Mediterranean, is carrying more than 40 civilian boats with over 500 people, including parliamentarians, lawyers, and Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military has not reacted to the claims of vessels being intercepted.
The flotilla was supposed to arrive in Gaza on Thursday morning if it was not intercepted.
This was the second time the flotilla was approached on Wednesday. Before dawn, the mission’s organisers said two Israeli “warships” had approached fast and encircled two of the flotilla’s boats, Reuters reported.
Last week, Italy and Spain had deployed navy vessels to assist the flotilla after it was struck with stun grenades and irritants in international waters off Greece, allegedly by Israel.
Israel’s foreign ministry in a post on X said that they would take “necessary measures” to stop the flotilla from reaching Gaza. They further said that it would, however, be willing to transfer the aid from the flotilla to Gaza through the Ashkelon port in Israel.
Meanwhile, Italian unions called a general strike on Friday to support the international aid flotilla for Gaza. This was after Italy on Tuesday announced that it would stop tracking the international flotilla that was trying to aid Gaza with a military vessel.
Reuters reported that in the southern city of Naples, demonstrators got into the main railway station and halted train traffic, while police surrounded the Termini railway station in Rome after protesters gathered close to entrances.
“The aggression against civilian ships that were carrying Italian citizens is an extremely serious matter,” the CGIL union said, calling the strike which other smaller unions said they would join.
Israel
October 02, 2025, 02:29 IST
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