Lucrezia Ciotti After days of tension and uncertainty, 18 Italian citizens arrested in Israel while participating in the Global Sumud Flotilla have finally returned to Rome. Upon their arrival, they reported being treated like terrorists, a situation that has sparked outrage and questions about how detentions are handled abroad.
Return to Rome of 18 Italian citizens of the Global Sumud Flotilla
On the evening of Saturday, October 4, 18 Italian citizens involved in the Global Sumud Flotilla mission returned to Italy after being released by Israeli authorities. The group, part of the 26 Italians initially detained, landed at Fiumicino Airport around 23:30 PM on a Turkish Airlines flight , after an initial leg from Eilat to Istanbul.
With the assistance of the Italian Consulate General in Türkiye, the participants were transferred to other flights to complete their repatriation, bound for Rome and Milan.
Another 15 Italians who refused to sign the voluntary release will have to await deportation through judicial proceedings, expected in the coming days. Upon arrival, the activists were greeted by family, friends, and colleagues, with chants, applause, flags, and a banner reading "You can't stop the wind, free Palestine."
Flotilla: 18 Italians arrested arrive in Rome: "Treated like terrorists"
Italian participants described harsh treatment during detention, with conditions often inhumane and oppressive . According to their accounts, cells were overcrowded, with limited food and water supplies, and there were incidents of insults and verbal and physical assaults by Israeli authorities. Journalist Saverio Tommasi added that detainees were deprived of medicines needed by people with chronic conditions and the elderly, while phones and work materials were confiscated:
“They literally took my wedding rings away from me : I had to argue with the judge and only thanks to that they were given back to me.”
Paolo Romano , a Lombardy regional councilor for the Democratic Party and one of the 26 Italians expelled from Israel, said at Istanbul airport, where he arrived from Tel Aviv before returning to Italy, that they were treated like animals . "They made us kneel face down. And if we moved, they beat us . They laughed at us, insulted us, and beat us. They used both psychological and physical violence ," he added.
Other activists, such as Cesare Tofani and Paolo De Montis, emphasized that the greatest difficulties stem from the accumulated stress during detention and transfers, comparing their experience to the daily hardships faced by Palestinians in the territory. Tofani said, "We were treated terribly... They treated us like they treat terrorists, Palestinians ," while De Montis explained:
“ There were 15 women in a cell for four; there were 10 of us in a cell for seven, with only one roll of toilet paper, no water, and with our food eaten on the floor.”
The returning Italians reiterated the urgency of ensuring the repatriation of the remaining Italians still held, emphasizing the need to continue supporting humanitarian missions and protecting the rights of Italian citizens abroad.
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