Italian and French dockworkers refuse to unload 'Israel-linked ships'

French dockworkers at the port of Marseille-Fos refused on Wednesday to load a shipment of spare parts for machine guns reportedly destined for Israel, declaring they would not be complicit in the "ongoing genocide" in Gaza.

The refusal follows reports from investigative French and Irish outlets Disclose and The Ditch, which revealed that a cargo vessel, the ZIM Contship Era, was scheduled to dock at Fos-sur-Mer to secretly load 14 tonnes of components produced by the French company Eurolinks.

These components, including Eurolink belts used in Negev 5 machine guns, were allegedly bound for Israel Military Industries, a subsidiary of Elbit Systems, one of Israel's largest arms manufacturers.

The General Confederation of Labor (CGT) union representing port workers in the Gulf of Fos issued a statement on Monday: "The port of Marseille-Fos must not be used to supply the Israeli army. The dockworkers and port staff will not take part in the ongoing genocide. We stand for peace among peoples and oppose all wars that bring death, misery, and displacement."

The union said it had identified the container and set it aside. The cargo, reportedly planned for shipment on Thursday, allegedly included 19 pallets of ammunition components linked to recent Israeli military actions in Gaza, including the 29 February 2024 incident during which Israeli forces killed more than 100 Palestinians as they waited for food aid, known as the "flour massacre". The New Arab could not verify the claims.

This would mark the third such shipment from Marseille to Israel in 2025, with earlier transfers reported on 3 April and 22 May, both involving military supplies compatible with firearms used in Gaza.

The dockworkers' stance inspired solidarity in Italy. The Genoa Port Workers’ Collective (CALP), backed by the USB union, announced it would mobilise to block the ZIM Contship Era from docking when it arrives in Genoa, one of its next scheduled stops along with Salerno, before returning to Haifa.

"We oppose all wars and refuse to be complicit in the genocide in Gaza," CALP said in a statement.

The Italian dockers have also called for a general strike on 20 June under the slogan "Disarmiamoli" ("Disarm them"), targeting what they describe as the broader militarisation of European ports and complicity in arms transfers. Demonstrations are planned in Genoa and Rome on 21 June to protest rising military spending and its social costs.

The move has drawn reactions from French lawmakers. Rima Hassan, a French MEP currently on board the Madleen aid flotilla en route to Gaza, praised the dockworkers' civil disobedience.

"In the face of genocide, the only possible response is resistance," she said.

Marseille MP Manuel Bompard added: "Across the world, people are organising to stand against the genocide in Gaza", while Communist deputy Elsa Faucillon questioned why France would allow such shipments when countries like Spain had halted arms exports to Israel.

Investigations by Disclose previously revealed that France approved the delivery of at least 100,000 rifle parts to Israel in late 2023.

In June 2024, the outlet also published classified documents showing that France had authorised drone-related exports, produced by Thales, used in Gaza strikes.

Israel's indiscriminate war on the besieged enclave has killed over 54,600 people and left vast swathes of Gaza in ruins. Entire neighbourhoods have been flattened, hospitals and schools reduced to rubble, and basic infrastructure systematically dismantled.

At least 50,000 children have been killed or injured in the ongoing assault, as civilian areas, including so-called "safe zones", continue to bear the brunt of relentless air and ground attacks.