Italy’s navy to quit Gaza flotilla as risk of Israeli attack looms

Italy’s navy will stop pursuing the planetary flotilla trying to present assistance to Gaza erstwhile it gets within 150 nautical miles (278 km) of the shore, the Italian defence ministry said connected Tuesday.

The Global Sumud Flotilla, consisting of much than 40 civilian boats, including six Greek ships, carrying parliamentarians, lawyers and activists and Swedish clime campaigner Greta Thunberg, aims to interruption Israel’s blockade of the Palestinian enclave.

Once the convoy reaches the 150 nautical miles limit, the Italian frigate accompanying it will stop, “as communicated respective times successful caller days,” the ministry said successful a statement.

The vessel will contented two warnings to activists, with the 2nd and last 1 foreseen astatine astir 00:00 GMT, when the flotilla is expected to get within the stated distance, the statement added.

Earlier connected Tuesday, an Italian spokeswoman for the flotilla, Maria Elena Delia, said that activists had been informed astir the government’s plans to person the navy vessel stop and turn backmost to debar “a diplomatic incident” with Israel.

She said the flotilla had nary volition of heeding Italy’s warnings not to get person to the shore.

Italy and Spain deployed navy vessels past week to assistance the flotilla, aft it was deed by drones equipped with stun grenades and irritants successful planetary waters disconnected Greece, but without immoderate volition to prosecute militarily.

Delia said activists were bracing for different strike successful the coming hours. “Israel will astir apt onslaught us tonight, due to the fact that each the signals constituent to this happening,” she said successful a video connected Instagram.

Israel did not respond to flotilla accusations that it was down past week’s attacks, but it has vowed to use immoderate means to forestall the boats from reaching Gaza, arguing that its blockade is ineligible arsenic portion of its war against Hamas militants.

Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto has said helium expects flotilla boats to beryllium intercepted successful the unfastened oversea and activists to look arrest.

On Tuesday, Crosetto made a “last appeal” to flotilla members to judge a compromise connection to driblet assistance successful Cyprus and debar a confrontation with Israeli forces. Flotilla representatives person repeatedly refused the offer.

Israel began its Gaza violative aft the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led onslaught connected Israel successful which some 1,200 radical were killed and 251 taken arsenic hostages, according to Israeli tallies. The violative has since killed implicit 66,000 Palestinians, Gaza wellness authorities say. [Reuters]