Italy to summon Israeli ambassador over detention of aid activists

ROMA, May 20 (YPA) – Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, announced that Italy would summon the Israeli occupation’s ambassador in Rome to deliver an official protest over the reported treatment of activists detained from the Global Sumud Fleet.

The move followed the interception of aid ships in international waters in the Mediterranean and the detention of civilian activists, including Italian nationals, by Israeli forces.

Meloni said reports alleging physical mistreatment and pressure against detainees inside detention facilities constitute a violation of international law, stressing that the Italian government would not remain silent over the incident.

Italian authorities said the occupation’s ambassador would be summoned to the Foreign Ministry to receive a formal protest note, alongside demands for the immediate release of the detained activists and an official explanation regarding the incident.

The development is expected to increase diplomatic tensions and could intensify broader European criticism of Israeli aggression in the eastern Mediterranean. Meanwhile, human rights groups and civil society organizations urged other European governments to adopt positions similar to Italy’s in response to the incident.

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