Italy Expands Gaza Aid Flotilla Investigation to Include Israeli Defense Minister and IDF Chief

The Rome Prosecutor's Office has expanded its investigation into senior Israeli officials, adding Defense Minister Israel Katz and IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir to the list of suspects. The probe stems from complaints filed by participants of pro-Palestinian flotillas intercepted by Israeli forces while attempting to reach Gaza in 2025 and 2026.

Initially, the investigation focused on National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. It has now broadened to include military command, police, and prison authority representatives. In total, Italian investigators have named 12 additional suspects alongside Katz and Ben-Gvir, though the specific level of responsibility for each remains undetermined.

The investigation is based on complaints from 50 Italian citizens who participated in the Global Sumud Flotilla actions. They were detained by Israeli authorities after attempting to reach Gaza's coast in September-October 2025 and April-May 2026. The complainants allege that unlawful actions, including torture, kidnapping, assault, robbery, and property damage, may have occurred during the interception and detention.

Italian prosecutors are examining suspicions of these alleged crimes, not established facts. No final charges or court decisions have been issued against the Israeli officials. Israel has denied the accusations of mistreatment, with the Prison Authority stating that all detainees were held in accordance with law, their rights were respected, and necessary medical care was provided.

In June, Italy's prosecution requested international legal assistance from Israel to clarify the circumstances of the activists' detention and identify responsible parties. Rome prosecutors also consulted with Eurojust, the EU's judicial cooperation agency, due to similar investigations in other European countries concerning the same flotillas.