Gaza-bound flotilla carrying humanitarian aid had set sail from Sicily on 29 April.Rome's public prosecutor has opened a criminal investigation into alleged kidnapping following Israel's interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters last week.The move marks an escalation of Italy's judicial and diplomatic response to the incident. Italian prosecutors opened the enquiry after Israeli authorities intercepted 22 boats of the Global Sumud Flotilla close to Crete on 29 April, while the vessels were sailing towards Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid. Probe The investigation was triggered by three formal complaints; two of these concern activists Thiago Ávila and Saif Abu Keshek, who were arrested on 29 April and transferred to an Israeli prison for questioning after being brought ashore. The remaining activists who were detained were disembarked in Crete. Abu Keshek holds Palestinian, Spanish and Swedish citizenship, while Ávila is Brazilian. Both were aboard Italian vessels at the time of the interception and are members of the flotilla's steering committee, news agency ANSA reports. The Rome prosecutor's office is also already investigating the flotilla's first mission - which ended in a similar interception last autumn - on charges including torture, kidnapping, robbery and causing damage with risk of shipwreck, according to Il Post. Flotilla The 2026 spring mission departed from Sicily on Sunday 26 April with the same objectives as the first: to break Israel's naval blockade of Gaza, to deliver food and essential supplies to Palestinians in the territory, and more broadly to keep international attention focused on conditions there. Around 60 vessels joined the mission carrying around 1,000 activists in total, making it the largest pro-Palestinian activist flotilla of its kind. Prime minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the seizure and called on Israel to release all Italians detained, to fully respect international law and guarantee the physical safety of those on board. Foreign minister Antonio Tajani also sought clarification from Israeli and Greek authorities about the nature of the operation. Israel has maintained a naval blockade of the Gaza Strip since 2009, and a series of maritime attempts to breach it have all been intercepted. The most significant previous confrontation occurred in 2010, when Israeli commandos raided the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, killing ten people and injuring dozens. Photo credit: Tricani Alessio / Shutterstock.com  

Rome's public prosecutor has opened a criminal investigation into alleged kidnapping following Israel's interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters last week. The move marks an escalation of Italy's judicial and diplomatic response to the incident. Italian prosecutors opened the enquiry after Israeli authorities intercepted 22 boats of the Global Sumud Flotilla close to Crete on 29 April, while the vessels were sailing towards Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid. The investigation was triggered by three formal complaints; two of these concern activists Thiago Ávila and Saif Abu Keshek, who were arrested on 29 April and transferred to an Israeli prison for questioning after being brought ashore. The remaining activists who were detained were disembarked in Crete. Abu Keshek holds Palestinian, Spanish and Swedish citizenship, while Ávila is Brazilian. Both were aboard Italian vessels at the time of the interception and are members of the flotilla's steering committee, news agency ANSA reports. The Rome prosecutor's office is also already investigating the flotilla's first mission - which ended in a similar interception last autumn - on charges including torture, kidnapping, robbery and causing damage with risk of shipwreck, according to Il Post. The 2026 spring mission with the same objectives as the first: to break Israel's naval blockade of Gaza, to deliver food and essential supplies to Palestinians in the territory, and more broadly to keep international attention focused on conditions there. Around 60 vessels joined the mission carrying around 1,000 activists in total, making it the largest pro-Palestinian activist flotilla of its kind. Prime minister  and called on Israel to release all Italians detained, to fully respect international law and guarantee the physical safety of those on board. Foreign minister Antonio Tajani also sought clarification from Israeli and Greek authorities about the nature of the operation. Israel has maintained a naval blockade of the Gaza Strip since 2009, and a series of maritime attempts to breach it have all been intercepted. The most significant previous confrontation occurred in 2010, when Israeli commandos raided the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, killing ten people and injuring dozens. Photo credit: Tricani Alessio / Shutterstock.com