Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni criticised an aid flotilla intercepted off Gaza by the Israeli military, saying on Thursday the activists' mission and a strike called in their support in Italy would do nothing to help Palestinians.
Israeli forces have boarded dozens of ships carrying hundreds of activists, including about 40 Italians, as they attempted to breach a maritime blockade of the Gaza Strip.
Italian unions called a general strike for Friday in solidarity with the flotilla, while protests sprang up in a number of cities after news spread late on Wednesday that the ships were being halted.
Speaking on the sidelines of a European Union summit in Copenhagen, Meloni sarcastically suggested the planned strike was simply an excuse for unionists to have a nice weekend break.
"I would have expected that at least on such an important issue they would not have called a general strike on a Friday, because a long weekend and revolution don't go together," she said.
"I continue to believe that all of this brings no benefit to the people of Palestine," Meloni told reporters.
"On the other hand, it seems to me that it will bring many inconveniences to the Italian people," she added, referring to Friday's strike, as well as pro-Palestinian protests previously called for Saturday.
Italian unions have accused the government of not putting pressure on Israel to halt the war and to allow unfettered aid access into Gaza.
Addressing parliament on Thursday, Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Rome had backed Israel's right to self-defence.
However, he reiterated that Israeli operations in Gaza had gone beyond self-defence and had violated humanitarian law.
"Gaza is not Hamas. Palestinians are not Hamas," he said.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 10th of December, covering the latest developments you need to...
The world’s leading minds and voices will be honoured as Nobel Prizes are presented in Stockholm and Oslo on Wednesday, 10 December — the annivers...
The United Nations Security Council has issued warnings about the rapidly worsening humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, citing a sharp surge in civilian c...
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday he was prepared to hold elections within three months if the U.S. and Kyiv's other allies coul...
Fighting between Thailand and Cambodia entered into a third day on Wednesday as U.S. President Donald Trump said he would make a phone call to stop th...
Australia on Wednesday became the first country to ban social media for children under 16, blocking access to platforms including TikTok, Alphabet's YouTube and Meta's Instagram and Facebook.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 10th of December, covering the latest developments you need to know.
The world’s leading minds and voices will be honoured as Nobel Prizes are presented in Stockholm and Oslo on Wednesday, 10 December — the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death. The day unites royal ceremony, academic prestige and global recognition of achievements that have advanced humanity.
The United Nations Security Council has issued warnings about the rapidly worsening humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, citing a sharp surge in civilian casualties amidst Russia's intensified aerial attacks, marking the deadliest period of the war in more than a year.
Authorities in Japan lifted all tsunami warnings on Tuesday following a strong 7.5-magnitude earthquake that struck off the northeastern coast late on Monday, injuring at least 30 people and forcing around 90,000 residents to evacuate their homes.
Scores of demonstrators gathered outside the Norwegian Nobel Institute in Oslo Tuesday (9 December) to protest against the awarding of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado.
Pressure is mounting between Venezuela and the United States as both nations emphasise military preparedness and strategic positioning.
Tehran has protested to Washington because of the travel ban on its football team delegation as well as Iranian fans who would like to travel to the United States for the upcoming World Cup matches in 2026.
Paramount Skydance (PSKY.O) has launched a $108.4 billion hostile takeover bid for Warner Bros Discovery (WBD.O). The escalation follows a high-stakes battle that had appeared to end last week when Netflix secured a $72 billion deal for the studio giant’s assets.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 10th of December, covering the latest developments you need to know.
The world’s leading minds and voices will be honoured as Nobel Prizes are presented in Stockholm and Oslo on Wednesday, 10 December — the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death. The day unites royal ceremony, academic prestige and global recognition of achievements that have advanced humanity.
The United Nations Security Council has issued warnings about the rapidly worsening humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, citing a sharp surge in civilian casualties amidst Russia's intensified aerial attacks, marking the deadliest period of the war in more than a year.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday he was prepared to hold elections within three months if the U.S. and Kyiv's other allies could ensure the security of the vote.
Fighting between Thailand and Cambodia entered into a third day on Wednesday as U.S. President Donald Trump said he would make a phone call to stop the conflict.
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