The Global Sumud Flotilla has been described as the largest civilian maritime mission ever organised to break the Israeli-imposed blockade of Gaza. The flotilla is a grassroots movement that unites doctors, nurses, sailors, artists, and activists from more than 40 countries. Its objective is to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza amidst the ongoing genocide, through a volunteer crew and the use of civilian vessels. Founded on the principles of peace and non-violence, the mission represents a humanitarian response to the crimes committed by Israel, in the name of justice, dignity, and respect for life.

The first expedition: the Global Sumud Flotilla mission

The first vessels bound for Gaza set sail on 30 August 2025 from the port of Genoa and on 31 August 2025 from Barcelona. The mission was delayed due to weather conditions, but between late August and mid-September, the ships gathered in Tunisian territorial waters. During this period, the mission suffered two attacks: on the night of 8 September, the boat Family was hit by a military drone of unknown origin, and on 9 September, the Alma was also attacked under similar circumstances.

Between 13 and 15 September, the mission resumed from Catania (Italy), Tunisia, and Greece, and a fleet of 42 ships assembled in international waters with the aim of completing the humanitarian mission.

While the Israeli government identified the mission as a security threat, the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols oblige states to guarantee the protection of civilians engaged in humanitarian operations. Furthermore, on 26 January 2024, the International Court of Justice, in its order on provisional measures in the case of South Africa v. Israel, required the State of Israel to immediately adopt measures to enable the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Gaza.

To ensure assistance and support for the humanitarian mission, the Italian Minister of Defence, Crosetto, authorised the deployment of the military vessel Fasan, later replaced by the Alpino, specifying that the ship would not act as an escort and would not sail beyond international waters.

Between 1 and 3 October 2025, 42 vessels of the Global Sumud Flotilla were intercepted in international waters, less than 150 miles from the Palestinian coast, and the 462 people on board were unlawfully detained. During the boarding, activists were subjected to humiliating treatment. They were later placed in isolation, denied communication channels, and subjected to mistreatment also during their detention in Ketziot prison.

In Italy, the mission and the subsequent Israeli interception generated intense media attention and widespread mobilisation among the public. This was also due to the extensive Italian participation in the mission, whose steering committee included the Italian representative Maria Elena Delia, a member of the International Solidarity Movement. In total, 48 Italian citizens were on board the ships, 44 of whom were intercepted and detained by Israel. Other Italian citizens, such as Manolo Luppichini and Meri Calvelli from the NGO ACS, were aboard other vessels that, for technical and security reasons, did not set sail for Gaza.

Below is the list of the Italian participants who were intercepted, divided according to their respective vessels:

Alma:
Antonio La Piccirella, skipper and activist, aged 35
Simone Zambrin, activist, aged 26

Aurora:
Sara Masi, artist and Greenpeace activist, aged 39
Federica Frascà, Greenpeace activist
Marco Orefice, activist, aged 47
Irene Soldati, member of Médecins Sans Frontières and Greenpeace activist, aged 40
Gonzalo Nestor Fabian Di Pretoro, Italian-Argentinian

Otaria:
Adriano Veneziani, activist
Alessandro Mantovani, journalist, aged 54
Cesare Tofani, skipper, aged 71
Dario Crippa, student, aged 25
Giorgio Patti, aged 25
Manuel Pietrangeli, activist

Grande Blu:
Emanuela Pala, journalist
Luca Poggi, logistic head 

Hio:
Lorenzo d’Agostino, journalist

Morgana:
Barbara Schiavulli, journalist, aged 34
Benedetta Scuderi, Member of the European Parliament
Carlo Alberto Biasoli, skipper and cultural worker, aged 39
Jose Nivoi, dockworker from CALP Genoa
Marco Croatti, Member of Parliament, aged 53

Seulle:
Fabrizio De Luca, geologist, aged 63
Paolo De Montis, trade unionist, aged 65
Ruggero Zeni, philosopher and activist, aged 69
Silvia Severini, employee, aged 54

Sirius:
Nicolas Calabrese, teacher, Italian-Argentinian

All In:
Pietro Queirolo Palmas, sailor, aged 23

Jeannot III:
Andrea Sebastiano Tribulato

Mango:
Roberto Ventrella, jeweller, aged 86

Karma:
Annalisa Corrado, Member of the European Parliament, aged 52
Arturo Scotto, Member of Parliament, aged 47
Michele Saponara
Margherita Cioppi, rescuer and Mediterranean mission leader, aged 33
Tommaso Ferdinando Nogara Notarianni, journalist and president of ARCI Milano, aged 59
Paolo Romano, politician, aged 41
Saverio Tommasi, journalist, aged 46

Wahoo:
Susanna Bargauan, student and artist, aged 32

Maria Cristina:
Andrea Canazza, retired, aged 68
Tommaso Bortolazzi, skipper, aged 42

Estrella y Manuel:
Michela Monte, journalist, aged 49

Selvaggia:
Gessica Lastrucci
Luca Viani, chef

Paola I:
Abderrahmane Amajou, president of ActionAid Italy, aged 39

Ahed Tamimi:
Giuseppina Branca, nurse, aged 78

Second expedition: the Thousand Madleens to Gaza and Freedom Flotilla missions

While the Italian activists were being repatriated, the movement for Gaza did not stop. The missions Thousand Madleens to Gaza and Freedom Flotilla set sail for Gaza carrying further humanitarian aid aboard nine vessels.

The second wave of aid, consisting of the Freedom Flotilla and Thousand Madleens, was intercepted in the early hours of 8 October 2025, and the activists were transferred to Ketziot prison. Following their detention, activists were deported to the Jordan border. Among the 150 activists from 20 countries, 10 were Italian citizens:

Freedom Flotilla:
Riccardo Corradini, doctor, aged 31
Stefano Argenio, nurse, aged 41
Francesco Prinetti, doctor, aged 28
Elisabeth Di Luca, activist and international aid worker, aged 40
Claudio Torrero, lecturer, aged 69
Vincenzo Fullone, aged 53

Thousand Madleens to Gaza:
Lorenzo Mollicone, journalist, aged 26
Lorenzo Bresciani, doctor
Beatrice Lio, activist and legal expert, aged 30
Laura Cardile, film director and documentary maker, Italian-French

Thanks to the strong Italian participation in the humanitarian mission and the commitment of civil society and grassroots movements, public debate on international solidarity and human rights, particularly concerning the complicity of the Italian government towards the genocide of the Palestinian population of the Gaza Strip through arms transfer to Israel, has been reignited.