As the Global Sumud Flotilla approaches the coast of Gaza, tension is mounting in European ports, driven by the mobilisation of dockworkers under several union banners across the continent. Their aim is to prevent the loading of military cargo bound for Israel. Unions have stated that, should the flotilla be attacked, they are ready to block the loading and unloading of all vessels bound for Israeli ports. This commitment was reaffirmed at the Genoa assembly on 26–27 September, which brought together dockworker representatives from various European cities and established a coordination mechanism to share real-time alerts on military shipments.
In Italy, actions against ships bound for Israel are intensifying. The port of Livorno has become the second main hub of Italian dockworker resistance after Genoa. Off the Tuscan coast, the container ship Zim Virginia was left anchored off the island of Gorgona for five days, unable to dock at the Terminal Darsena Toscana due to a total strike jointly called by Usb and Filt-Cgil. The vessel finally docked on 30 September, with around 250 dockworkers declaring themselves ready for a full blockade. Another Zim ship, the Zim Iberia, is due in Livorno on 3 October and is expected to face the same organised resistance.
Giovanni Ceraolo of Usb Livorno explained the reasons behind the mobilisation: “Workers do not feel they can collaborate with a company like Zim, owned by the State of Israel. They are doing, concretely, what our Government has not had the courage to do: interrupt the flow of goods to and from Israel.” He described the action as “symbolic but powerful”, stressing that “we should not have reached this point, as any normal government would already have intervened”. Giuseppe Gucciardo of Filt-Cgil added that the strike was “limited only to loading and unloading operations for the Zim Virginia and will not affect other ships in port”, ensuring that “our port continues to operate”.
In Genoa, on the evening of 27 September, around 2,000 people forced the ship Zim New Zealand to leave the Spinelli Terminal without loading a single container. The action, coordinated by Calp (Collettivo Autonomo Lavoratori Portuali), was made possible by the convergence of a Gaza solidarity march with direct trade union action. Dockworkers had been alerted by colleagues on shift that the Israeli ship was docked with “ten suspicious containers” marked as explosive material. The response was immediate: part of the demonstrators headed for Varco Etiopia while Usb declared a 24-hour strike starting at 21:30. The ship was forced to leave during the night, returning the following day only to unload around 150 containers without embarking any new cargo before departing for Salerno.
By 30 September, six Italian ports had been involved in successful blockade actions within a month: Ravenna, Genoa, Livorno, Venice, Trieste and Taranto. Operations included stopping two containers of explosives in Ravenna, turning away an Israeli ship in Genoa, blocking a tanker with 30,000 tonnes of crude oil in Taranto, alongside the ongoing action in Livorno. Attention now turns to the progress of the Global Sumud Flotilla, carrying humanitarian aid and determined to dock in Gaza despite Israel’s declared intention to prevent it.
The flotilla – consisting of 46 boats carrying 530 people from 44 different countries – is now less than 48 hours from the Palestinian coast and approaching the “interception zone”, despite growing diplomatic pressure and Israeli threats of military intervention. Activists stress that Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza is illegal under international law, as these waters are not recognised as Israeli territorial waters. Their objective is not only to deliver the current cargo of aid but also to break the blockade and open a permanent humanitarian corridor.
Tension rose further after the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) released documents overnight alleging Hamas involvement in funding the flotilla. According to Israeli authorities, financiers include Zaher Birawi, alleged head of Hamas operations in the United Kingdom, and Saif Abu Kashk, CEO of Cyber Neptune in Spain. The IDF claimed that “these ships secretly belong to Hamas”, paving the way for a possible intervention within 48 hours, potentially before Yom Kippur on 1 October. Such an operation would take place in international waters. Flotilla spokespersons have dismissed the allegations as “defamatory”.
Italian intelligence sources confirm that Israel has already drawn up an operational plan involving Shayetet 13, the Israeli Navy commando unit, with orders not to use “lethal force” but to deploy “mini underwater drones with limited explosive charges capable of disabling rudders, keels or propellers”. The Italian Government is preparing for the worst, not only for the fate of the activists but also for potential domestic repercussions. The Interior Ministry has warned of possible “public order problems and unrest” in the event of an Israeli attack.
