From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, September 30, 2025
Italy’s navy to quit Gaza flotilla once it nears shore, will warn activists first
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Italy’s navy will stop following the international flotilla trying to deliver aid to Gaza once it gets within 150 nautical miles (278 km) of the shore, the Italian defense ministry said on Tuesday.
The Global Sumud Flotilla, consisting of more than 40 civilian boats carrying parliamentarians, lawyers and activists, including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, aims to break Israel’s blockade of the enclave, which was imposed in 2007 to stop arms imports to the Hamas terror group, which had taken over the Strip.
Once the convoy reaches the 150 nautical miles limit, the Italian frigate accompanying it will stop, “as communicated several times in recent days,” the ministry says in a statement.
The ship will issue two warnings to activists, with the second and final one foreseen at around 00:00 GMT, when the flotilla is expected to get within the stated distance, the statement added.
Earlier on Tuesday, an Italian spokeswoman for the flotilla, Maria Elena Delia, said that activists had been informed about the government’s plans to have the navy ship stop and turn back to avoid “a diplomatic incident” with Israel.
She said the flotilla had no intention of heeding Italy’s warnings not to get closer to the shore.
Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto has said he expects flotilla boats to be intercepted in the open sea and activists to face arrest.
On Tuesday, Crosetto made a “last appeal” to flotilla members to accept a compromise proposal to drop aid in Cyprus and avoid a confrontation with Israeli forces. Flotilla representatives have repeatedly refused the offer.
The Times of Israel Community.