A wave of pro-Palestinian sentiment and direct action has swept across Italy, marked by striking dockworkers, nationwide general strikes, and widespread protests in solidarity with Gaza. This intense activism intensified after the interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla, a humanitarian aid mission bound for Gaza, which included prominent figures like Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg.

In a significant display of solidarity, dockworkers in Livorno refused to unload an Israeli-owned container ship, forcing its departure. This incident mirrored actions in other Italian ports, from Genoa to Taranto, where workers obstructed ships believed to be carrying weapons for Israel. Luca Simoni, a dockworker, articulated the protestors' stance, stating, “Israel is carrying out an extermination of people in Gaza – by killing them, by starving them. We cannot remain indifferent. We have always been a port of welcome, not one of war. We will continue protesting until this war ends.”

Italy’s largest trade union, Cgil, along with USB, called a second general strike in less than two weeks, bringing schools, traffic, public transport, and healthcare to a halt. Tens of thousands marched in cities like Rome, Milan, Turin, and Palermo, condemning the interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla and demanding an end to the violence in Gaza. The flotilla, comprising around 43 to 50 boats and approximately 500 activists, including American actress Susan Sarandon and Nelson Mandela's grandson Mandla Mandela, aimed to deliver aid to the besieged territory where the UN reports famine is taking hold.

On Wednesday, Israeli naval forces intercepted and boarded at least 19 vessels of the Global Sumud Flotilla some 70 nautical miles from Gaza. Organizers reported that cameras went offline as military personnel boarded the ships, leading to the detention of hundreds of activists. The Israeli foreign ministry confirmed the activists were safe and healthy, stating they would be transferred to an Israeli port and then deported to Europe. However, footage posted by the Israeli Foreign Ministry showed Greta Thunberg among those detained, wearing a green frog bucket hat.

The detained activists, including British nationals, were subsequently transferred to Ketziot prison in the Negev desert, a facility described as notorious. Former Palestinian detainees have made grave allegations of mistreatment, including sexual abuse, severe beatings, medical negligence, and deprivation of food and water. Abdul Karim Mushtaha recounted threats of castration and tasering, while another former inmate, Omar, described being beaten with batons until his body was blue. The Israeli Prison Service has previously stated it is not aware of such claims. The UK Foreign Office expressed