Italy has condemned the seizure of aid ships by Israel bound for Gaza and demands the immediate release of all Italians who have been "illegally detained," Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's office said Thursday.
Israel seized the ships in international waters near Greece late Wednesday, a move that the organizers, the Global Sumud Flotilla, called an act of piracy against ships carrying humanitarian aid to the war-torn Palestinian enclave.
Rome also urged Israel to respect international law and guarantee the safety of those on board. It did not say how many Italians had been detained.
"The government reaffirms its commitment to continue providing humanitarian assistance to Gaza within the framework of our cooperation and in accordance with international law," she said in a statement.
Meloni's right-wing government has been one of Israel's closest friends in Europe, but in recent weeks has criticized its attacks in Lebanon, which have killed hundreds and wounded thousands.
Earlier this month, it suspended a defense cooperation agreement with Israel because of what was happening in the Middle East.
Israel, which controls all access to the Gaza Strip, denies cutting off supplies to its more than 2 million residents and called those on the flotilla ships "agitators seeking attention."
The Israeli military had stopped a previous flotilla assembled by the same organization last October in an attempt to reach blockaded Gaza, arresting Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and more than 450 participants.
