Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni reiterated her opposition to the Global Sumud Flotilla initiative for Gaza, saying she does not believe it provides meaningful help to those in need.
During a press conference Thursday, she said her position had remained consistent despite recent developments.
"As for my opinion on the flotilla, I haven't changed my mind much. I still don't see the usefulness of initiatives that don't benefit the people of Gaza and instead give us many more problems to solve, as if we didn't already have enough," she said.
Meloni added that her government had consistently expressed its opposition through diplomatic channels.
"We have publicly condemned this initiative, and we have done so with our Israeli interlocutors, with whom we have had many contacts today. You will have seen the outcome, with the Israeli foreign minister announcing that these people will all be released."
Asked whether Italy might deploy naval vessels to escort other flotilla ships that have not been blocked, the prime minister said no decision had been made yet.
"I have not yet considered sending ships. I have not spoken to Defense Minister Guido Crosetto. I reserve the right to do so in the next few hours," she added.
The first ships of the flotilla, carrying humanitarian aid, set sail from Barcelona on April 12, while the main fleet set sail from the Italian island of Sicily on April 26, aiming to break Israel's years-long blockade of Gaza.
Israel has imposed a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip since 2007, leaving the territory's 2.4 million people on the verge of starvation.
The Israeli army launched a brutal two-year offensive on Gaza in October 2023, killing more than 72,000 people, injuring over 172,000 and causing massive destruction across the besieged territory.
