Overview

• Four Italian parliamentarians — Benedetta Scuderi (Avs), Arturo Scotto and Annalisa Corrado (Pd), and Marco Croatti (M5S) — will join the Global Sumud Flotilla to deliver aid to Gaza, as Israel warns participants will be treated as “terrorists.”
• Organizers say boats already at sea were shadowed by drones overnight, and the Italian contingent delayed departure to September 7 to align with vessels from Spain.
• Italian opposition parties press for diplomatic protection for participants, citing Spain’s stance, while activists say they have undertaken non-violent training ahead of a possible interception.
• Questions mount in Rome after reports that three Israeli military aircraft briefly landed at the Sigonella base in Sicily, prompting demands for government clarification on any surveillance of the flotilla.
• Belgium confirms it will recognize a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September, drawing sharp condemnation from Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.