Italy's opposition calls on government to protect flotilla as a dozen Italians abandon mission amid pressure from Rome.The Italian government has warned of the serious danger facing a flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza as it resumed its journey over the weekend.The Global Sumud Flotilla, which had been stranded for several days south of the Greek island of Crete following a drone attack, departed for the Gaza Strip on Saturday evening. Comprising a total of 47 boats, the international flotilla aims to challenge Israel’s naval blockade and deliver aid directly to the Palestinian territory. Compromise In recent days, the Italian government has strongly urged the flotilla to accept a mediation offer to offload its aid in Cyprus where it would be transferred to Gaza by the Catholic Church's Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. This appeal was reinforced on Friday by Italy's president, Sergio Mattarella, who pleaded with the flotilla to accept the compromise solution and not to put their safety at risk. The flotilla rejected the appeal however, following talks at the weekend between the Italian delegation and the government in Rome, around a dozen Italians made the decision to abandon the mission. There are still around 40 Italians, including four MPs, aboard the flotilla, alongside activists from dozens of other countries. Danger Italy's defence minister Guido Crosetto on Sunday stressed that the government and top state officials are "making every diplomatic and operational effort to ensure a sense of responsibility prevails". Crosetto, who last week deployed a navy ship to offer assistance to Italian citizens travelling with the flotilla following the drone attacks, warned that if the mission were to challenge a naval blockade "it would expose itself to extremely high and unmanageable dangers." Italy's deputy premier and foreign minister Antonio Tajani on Sunday reiterated the government's appeal to the flotilla, telling reporters: "We have always said … that it is dangerous to approach Israeli waters. We don’t know what might happen. Forcing the blockade is dangerous." Last week Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni criticised the flotilla as “dangerous and irresponsible”. Italian opposition Elly Schlein, leader of the opposition centre-left Partito Democratico (PD), also met with the flotilla's Italian delegation over the weekend. "We reiterated our support, as well as our hope that the channel of dialogue between the flotilla and the Latin Patriarchate will remain open to ensure the goal of delivering aid to Gaza by creating a permanent humanitarian corridor and protecting the safety of the activists on board," Schlein said, calling on the Italian government to do "everything in its power to protect the safety of this peaceful and humanitarian mission." Giuseppe Conte, former prime minister and leader of the Movimento 5 Stelle, said he respected the flotilla's decision to keep going, pledging his full support to "those who have undertaken this worthy mission". Israeli reaction Israel, which has pledged to treat the flotilla crew members as "terrorists" and arrest them, reacted harshly to the decision by the flotilla to continue its mission. "The flotilla rejected the Italian government and the Vatican's proposal to unload any aid they might have in Cyprus and to transfer it from there peacefully to Gaza" - the Israeli foreign ministry posted on X - "This is after they rejected two other Israeli proposals to unload the aid and then transfer it peacefully to Gaza. It doesn't get clearer than that: This has nothing to do with aid. This is all about provocation and serving Hamas."

The Italian government has warned of the serious danger facing a flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza as it resumed its journey over the weekend. The Global Sumud Flotilla, which had been stranded for several days south of the Greek island of Crete following a drone attack, departed for the Gaza Strip on Saturday evening. Comprising a total of 47 boats, the international flotilla aims to challenge Israel’s naval blockade and deliver aid directly to the Palestinian territory. Compromise In recent days, the Italian government has strongly urged the flotilla to accept a mediation offer to offload its aid in Cyprus where it would be transferred to Gaza by the Catholic Church's Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. This appeal was reinforced on Friday by Italy's president, Sergio Mattarella, who to accept the compromise solution and not to put their safety at risk. The flotilla rejected the appeal however, following talks at the weekend between the Italian delegation and the government in Rome, around a dozen Italians made the decision to abandon the mission. There are still around 40 Italians, including four MPs, aboard the flotilla, alongside activists from dozens of other countries. Danger Italy's defence minister Guido Crosetto on Sunday stressed that the government and top state officials are "making every diplomatic and operational effort to ensure a sense of responsibility prevails". Crosetto, who last week to offer assistance to Italian citizens travelling with the flotilla following the drone attacks, warned that if the mission were to challenge a naval blockade "it would expose itself to extremely high and unmanageable dangers." Italy's deputy premier and foreign minister Antonio Tajani on Sunday reiterated the government's appeal to the flotilla, telling reporters: "We have always said … that it is dangerous to approach Israeli waters. We don’t know what might happen. Forcing the blockade is dangerous." Last week Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni  as “dangerous and irresponsible”. Italian opposition Elly Schlein, leader of the opposition centre-left Partito Democratico (PD), also met with the flotilla's Italian delegation over the weekend. "We reiterated our support, as well as our hope that the channel of dialogue between the flotilla and the Latin Patriarchate will remain open to ensure the goal of delivering aid to Gaza by creating a permanent humanitarian corridor and protecting the safety of the activists on board," Schlein said, calling on the Italian government to do "everything in its power to protect the safety of this peaceful and humanitarian mission." Giuseppe Conte, former prime minister and leader of the Movimento 5 Stelle, said he respected the flotilla's decision to keep going, pledging his full support to "those who have undertaken this worthy mission". Israeli reaction Israel, which has pledged to treat the flotilla crew members as "terrorists" and arrest them, reacted harshly to the decision by the flotilla to continue its mission. "The flotilla rejected the Italian government and the Vatican's proposal to unload any aid they might have in Cyprus and to transfer it from there peacefully to Gaza" - the Israeli foreign ministry posted on X - "This is after they rejected two other Israeli proposals to unload the aid and then transfer it peacefully to Gaza. It doesn't get clearer than that: This has nothing to do with aid. This is all about provocation and serving Hamas."