Israel warns it will treat flotilla activists as terrorists.A union representative of dockworkers in the Italian port of Genoa has threatened that all shipments to Israel will be blocked if communication is lost with a flotilla carrying aid bound for the Gaza Strip.Boats laden with food and humanitarian supplies departed from Genoa and Barcelona on Sunday as part of the Global Sumud Flotilla mission which will attempt to break through Israel’s blockade. The dockworker, representing the USB trade union, was speaking at a rally in Genoa's port at the weekend after an estimated 40,000 people in joined a torchlit procession in support of the flotilla. "If we lose contact with our boats, with our comrades, even for just 20 minutes, we will shut down all of Europe" - the dockworker said in viral video footage - "13 to 14,000 containers leave every year for Israel from this region, not a single nail will leave anymore". Genoa food drive The boats departing from Genoa on Sunday were loaded with more than 300 tons of food supplies for Gaza, donated by the city's residents as part of a major food drive. Genoa port workers were among the most active in the food campaign, including CALP, an independent collective of dockyard workers which earlier this year blocked shipments of weapons headed to Israel. Global Sumud Flotilla organisers say it is the largest maritime mission to Gaza, bringing together more than 50 ships and delegations from at least 44 countries. Genoa dockworkers will reportedly get on board the ships when the flotilla sets sail from Sicily on Thursday. Threat from Israel Israel has pledged to stop the flotilla from reaching the Gaza Strip, with national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir saying he wants to designate all the Global Sumud Flotilla volunteers as “terrorists” and arrest them. "The threats from the Netanyahu government do not frighten us" - CALP representative José Nivoi said in an interview with La Repubblica newspaper - "Ben Gvir's statements are merely a demonstration of the sense of total impunity enjoyed by Israel, which has allowed and continues to allow genocide to be committed". Maria Elena Delia, the flotilla's spokesperson for Italy, said the activists would not be intimidated by the warning from Israel and would continue the mission regardless. "I hope, in the event that Israel carries out arrests with hard jail time, that our government will intervene because we are Italian citizens and we are sailing in international waters" - Delia said - "So Israel has no right to arrest us and seize our ships". Opposition The right-wing government of Italian premier Giorgia Meloni has also come under pressure from the centre-left opposition to stand up for the Italian activists on board the flotilla. "The threats made by Israeli minister Gvir against the activists of the Global Sumud Flotilla must be forcefully rejected by European governments, the Italian government and the EU," said the leader of the Partito Democratico (PD) party, Elly Schlein. Giuseppe Conte, leader of the Movimento 5 Stelle (M5S), slammed the Israeli threat as "beyond absurd" while "a criminal like Netanyahu is acting with impunity after massacring more than 60,000 Palestinians, including 20,000 children". Writing on social media, Conte addressed Meloni directly, asking if she intended "to put aside her hat-wearing selfies and stand with those who choose to commit to stopping this horror, or will she, as always, let her friend Netanyahu carry on?"  "Will she say and do something to defend her fellow citizens engaged in this operation and the many citizens who supported it?" - Conte asked - "When will sanctions and an arms embargo be imposed? The prime minister has lost her words and her patriotism." Image: Boats sailing with the Global Sumud Flotilla set sail from Barcelona. Photo credit: gonzagon / Shutterstock.com.

A union representative of dockworkers in the Italian port of Genoa has threatened that all shipments to Israel will be blocked if communication is lost with a flotilla carrying aid bound for the Gaza Strip. Boats laden with food and humanitarian supplies departed from Genoa and Barcelona on Sunday as part of the  mission which will attempt to break through Israel’s blockade. The dockworker, representing the USB trade union, was speaking at a rally in Genoa's port at the weekend after an estimated 40,000 people in joined in support of the flotilla. "If we lose contact with our boats, with our comrades, even for just 20 minutes, we will shut down all of Europe" - the dockworker said in viral video footage - "13 to 14,000 containers leave every year for Israel from this region, not a single nail will leave anymore". Genoa food drive The boats departing from Genoa on Sunday were loaded with more than 300 tons of food supplies for Gaza, donated by the city's residents as part of a major food drive. Genoa port workers were among the most active in the food campaign, including CALP, an independent collective of dockyard workers which earlier this year blocked shipments of weapons headed to Israel. Global Sumud Flotilla organisers say it is the largest maritime mission to Gaza, bringing together more than 50 ships and delegations from at least 44 countries. Genoa dockworkers will reportedly get on board the ships when the flotilla sets sail from Sicily on Thursday. Threat from Israel Israel has pledged to stop the flotilla from reaching the Gaza Strip, with national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir saying he wants to designate all the Global Sumud Flotilla volunteers as “terrorists” and arrest them. "The threats from the Netanyahu government do not frighten us" - CALP representative José Nivoi said in with La Repubblica newspaper - "Ben Gvir's statements are merely a demonstration of the sense of total impunity enjoyed by Israel, which has allowed and continues to allow genocide to be committed". Maria Elena Delia, the flotilla's spokesperson for Italy, said the activists would not be intimidated by the warning from Israel and would continue the mission regardless. "I hope, in the event that Israel carries out arrests with hard jail time, that our government will intervene because we are Italian citizens and we are sailing in international waters" - Delia said - "So Israel has no right to arrest us and seize our ships". Opposition The right-wing government of Italian premier Giorgia Meloni has also come under pressure from the centre-left opposition to stand up for the Italian activists on board the flotilla. "The threats made by Israeli minister Gvir against the activists of the Global Sumud Flotilla must be forcefully rejected by European governments, the Italian government and the EU," said the leader of the Partito Democratico (PD) party, Elly Schlein. Giuseppe Conte, leader of the Movimento 5 Stelle (M5S), slammed the Israeli threat as "beyond absurd" while "a criminal like Netanyahu is acting with impunity after massacring more than 60,000 Palestinians, including 20,000 children". Writing on social media, Conte addressed Meloni directly, asking if she intended "to put aside her hat-wearing selfies and stand with those who choose to commit to stopping this horror, or will she, as always, let her friend Netanyahu carry on?"  "Will she say and do something to defend her fellow citizens engaged in this operation and the many citizens who supported it?" - Conte asked - "When will sanctions and an arms embargo be imposed? The prime minister has lost her words and her patriotism." Image: Boats sailing with the Global Sumud Flotilla set sail from Barcelona. Photo credit: gonzagon / Shutterstock.com.