Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has promised her government will take steps to protect Italians taking part in the Global Sumud Flotilla, a convoy of international activists sailing to Gaza in an attempt to break Israel's blockade.
The pledge came after opposition Democratic Party (PD) leader Elly Schlein pressed Meloni for clarity, following threats from Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir that flotilla passengers could be treated as "terror" suspects.
At least four Italian lawmakers are on board or planning to join the mission, including Lower House MP lawmaker Arturo Scotto, MEP Benedetta Scuderi, MEP Annalisa Corrado, and Five Star Movement Senator Marco Croatti, prompting questions over their safety and the government's responsibility.
"While we recognise the political and symbolic significance of this initiative, participants must be aware of the risks of travelling into a war zone," Meloni wrote in her reply to Schlein. "That said, Italy will take all measures to protect its citizens abroad, as has always been the case."
She pointed to the Italian-led Food for Gaza initiative, which had delivered more than 200 tonnes of food and medical supplies into the besieged enclave, as proof of Rome's commitment to humanitarian support, but she urged flotilla participants to "use existing humanitarian channels" rather than challenge Israel's blockade directly.
Meanwhile, Green-Left Alliance MP Angelo Bonelli demanded answers after three Israeli military aircraft landed at Sigonella air base in Sicily on Wednesday.
One of the planes, a KC-130H, took off from Nevatim Air Base in Israel at 3:10 pm, landed in Sicily just over three hours later, and departed again shortly afterwards.
"It is unacceptable for Italian bases to be used by the military aircraft of a state that is conducting a massacre against the Palestinian people," Bonelli said.
He called on Meloni to explain whether the flights were connected to surveillance of the flotilla or the transport of military equipment.
Human rights groups in Italy echoed his concerns, accusing the government of risking complicity in the Gaza blockade by cooperating with Israel.
The flotilla itself, which set sail from Barcelona earlier this week with some 200 activists, artists and politicians from 44 countries, has already drawn global attention.
On Thursday, organisers announced that Mandla Mandela, a South African MP and grandson of Nelson Mandela, would join the convoy alongside ten South African citizens.
"Many of us that have visited the occupied territories in Palestine have only come back with one conclusion: that the Palestinians are experiencing a far worse form of apartheid than we ever experienced," he told reporters at Johannesburg Airport before flying to Tunisia to meet the flotilla.
In a separate interview with Reuters, he added: "Palestinians' lives under Israeli occupation are worse than anything Black South Africans experienced under apartheid. We believe that the global community has to continue supporting the Palestinians, just as they stood side-by-side with us."
Mandela said South Africa's struggle against apartheid only ended once the country had been isolated by international sanctions.
"They isolated apartheid South Africa and finally collapsed it. We believe that the time has come for that to be done for the Palestinians," he said.
Pretoria has taken a leading role in challenging Israel in international courts. In late 2023, it asked the International Court of Justice to investigate Israeli attacks on Gaza, later filing a genocide case under the 1948 UN Convention.
A year later, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then-defence minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.