Last 15 Italians Aboard Gaza Flotilla to Return on Monday

The final 15 Italian citizens detained by Israeli authorities after intercepting the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Aid Flotilla are set to leave Israel on Monday, according to Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani.

“The last 15 Italians from the flotilla will leave tomorrow onboard a charter flight for Athens. They will benefit from our embassy’s assistance at their departure, then while in Greece, during their transfer to Italy,” Tajani said on X late Sunday.

Unlike the first group of 26 Italians, who departed Israel on Saturday, the remaining 15 were subject to judicial expulsion after refusing to sign a form permitting voluntary release.

Upon returning to Italy, the first group of 26 were welcomed by around 200 people at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport. Several flotilla participants reported harsh detention conditions and degrading treatment at the hands of Israeli authorities.

Saverio Tommasi, a journalist for the online media platform Fanpage, described being struck in the back and on the head by his Israeli captors.

“We were treated like old monkeys in the worst circuses of the 1920s,” Tommasi told the Ansa press agency.

The flotilla, which set sail last month, carried politicians and activists including Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg to Gaza, where the United Nations reports famine conditions are worsening.

The Israeli navy began intercepting the vessels in international waters on Wednesday. An Israeli official confirmed that boats carrying more than 400 people were prevented from reaching Palestinian territory.

The return of the last 15 Italians marks the end of Italy’s direct involvement with the flotilla, concluding a tense week of diplomatic negotiations and public scrutiny over Israel’s handling of the intercepted activists.