According to a report by The Times of Israel, Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said his Israeli counterpart had assured him that the Israeli armed forces would not resort to violence against activists on board a flotilla of ships sailing toward Gaza.
Speaking to Italian broadcaster Rai, Tajani emphasized that discussions with Israel had focused on ensuring the operation would be carried out without violent incidents. “The boarding was planned, we are talking about it … with Minister Saar so that there would be no violent actions on the part of the Tel Aviv armed forces, and this has been assured to me,” Tajani said.
The Italian foreign minister added that preparations were being made to provide consular assistance to Italian nationals expected to be involved in the situation. He said that instructions had been issued to Italy’s diplomatic missions in Israel and Jerusalem to safeguard the interests of Italian citizens who may be detained following the flotilla’s interception.
“We instructed our embassy in Tel Aviv and the consulate in Jerusalem to assist all Italians who will probably be taken to Ashdod, but then will be expelled,” Tajani explained.
The flotilla, organized by pro-Palestinian activists, is heading toward Gaza in a challenge to Israel’s maritime blockade. While details regarding the number of participants and nationalities remain unclear, Italian authorities are monitoring developments closely amid concerns about potential escalation.
Tajani’s remarks reflect ongoing diplomatic coordination between Italy and Israel to prevent a repeat of past incidents in which flotilla interceptions turned violent.
Although the Italian minister did not provide further details on the assurances from Israel, his statements indicate that Rome is seeking to balance support for humanitarian concerns with its broader diplomatic relationship with Tel Aviv. See, More, Here>>>
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