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Four Italian parliamentarians returned to Rome Saturday after being detained by Israeli forces during an October 1 raid on an international humanitarian aid flotilla bound for Gaza, with their advocacy group filing criminal complaints over the incident.
The lawmakers held a press conference detailing their experience aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla, which was carrying humanitarian supplies when intercepted by the Israeli navy in international waters.
"Our team has filed a criminal complaint with the Rome Public Prosecutor's Office regarding the detention of activists and the attack we suffered in international waters," said Maria Elena Delia, spokesperson for the Global Movement for Gaza's Italian representation.
The detained Italian officials included European Parliament members Annalisa Corrado of the Democratic Party and Benedetta Scuderi of the Green Party, along with Senator Marco Croatti of the Five Star Movement and Chamber of Deputies member Arturo Scotto of the Democratic Party.
Delia alleged the activists were "illegally detained without any legal basis," stating that despite committing no crimes, they "were forcibly taken by the Israeli navy" and denied basic defense rights and essential needs including water, food and hygiene services while in detention.
Senator Croatti, who participated as an activist, emphasized the mission's humanitarian nature. "They called us terrorists, they treated us as if we were terrorists. But we only had humanitarian aid with us," he said. "We were peaceful people who don't use violence, people who wanted to bring hope to a land."
Croatti described physical mistreatment during detention, saying activists were "physically dragged" and handled roughly while being loaded into vehicles. He said their passports were confiscated and only returned shortly before boarding the Italian aircraft home, and that they met with the Italian ambassador only just before departure.
European Parliament member Scuderi provided additional details of the interception: "We were ruthlessly stopped and captured in international waters, where we had the right to be. We were taken hostage by the Israeli army, brought to an Israeli port, subjected to searches and interrogations, and had no access to our lawyers."
She said their vessels were confiscated and Palestinian flags were removed and replaced with Israeli flags.
The flotilla incident occurs amid ongoing conflict in Gaza that began after Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023, led to Israeli military operations in the Palestinian territory. International aid groups have faced restrictions in delivering humanitarian assistance to Gaza's population.
Chamber member Scotto criticized the Italian government's response, arguing it failed to apply "real pressure" on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to open aid corridors that have been closed since 2007.
"What was legal were those who were on those boats," Scotto said. "What was illegal were those who prevented those boats from reaching Gaza and also those who did not support that mission."
The lawmakers' detention adds to diplomatic tensions as the conflict continues, with Scotto noting current movement around U.S. President Donald Trump's regional peace plan while emphasizing that "Palestinians must play a leading role in their own future."
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