Italian Port Blocks Weapons Shipment to Israel

The Italian port of Ravenna, on the Adriatic Sea, refused entry on Thursday to two trucks reportedly carrying weapons bound for Israel, as protests over the Gaza war intensified among dockworkers and labor groups across Italy.

Ravenna’s centre-left mayor, Alessandro Barattini, told reporters that the port authority had accepted a request from him and the regional government to block the trucks, which were said to be transporting explosives en route to Israel’s Haifa port.

“The Italian state says it has banned the sale of weapons to Israel, but it is unacceptable that such shipments transit through Italy from other countries due to bureaucratic loopholes,” Barattini said in a statement. He did not provide details on the origin of the trucks or evidence of their contents.

The move comes as dockworkers in several European countries, including France, Sweden, and Greece, have taken similar steps to halt weapons shipments to Israel. Ravenna’s decision reflects growing opposition in Italy to Israel’s military offensive in Gaza and wider support for international efforts to deliver aid to Palestinians.

An Israeli embassy spokesperson in Rome said there was insufficient information to comment on the matter.

Meanwhile, Italy’s largest trade union, the General Confederation of Italian Labor (CGIL), is set to hold a half-day general strike and rallies in Rome and other cities on Friday. Two other unions have also announced strike action on 22 September, aimed at disrupting operations at the country’s main ports of Genoa and Livorno.