By Alvise Armellini
ROME (Reuters) -Italy said on Tuesday it would stop tracking an international flotilla trying to deliver aid to Gaza with a military vessel, leaving activists vulnerable to Israeli forces.
The Global Sumud Flotilla, consisting of more than 40 civilian boats with over 500 people including parliamentarians, lawyers and Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, aims to break Israel's blockade of the Palestinian enclave.
Once the convoy gets within 150 nautical miles (278 km) of Gaza's shoreline, the Italian frigate accompanying it will stop, the Italian defence ministry said in a statement, adding that it expected it to happen at around 0000 GMT.
ITALY SUGGESTS COMPROMISE, FLOTILLA REFUSES
Italy has urged flotilla members to accept a compromise proposal to drop aid in a Cyprus port and avoid a confrontation with Israeli forces. Flotilla representatives have repeatedly refused the offer.
"We say again: the flotilla sails onwards. The Italian navy will not derail this mission. The humanitarian demand to break the blockade cannot be walked back to port," the Global Sumud Flotilla said in a statement.
Italy and Spain deployed navy vessels last week to assist the flotilla, after it was hit by drones armed with stun grenades and irritants in international waters off Greece, but without any intention to engage militarily.
Israel did not respond to flotilla accusations that it was behind last week's attacks, but it has vowed to use any means to prevent the boats from reaching Gaza, arguing that its blockade is legal as part of its war against Hamas militants.
ACTIVISTS BRACE FOR INTERCEPTION
An Italian spokeswoman for the flotilla, Maria Elena Delia, said activists were bracing for another strike in the coming hours. "Israel will probably attack us tonight, because all the signals point to this happening," she said in a video on Instagram.
Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto has said he expects flotilla boats to be intercepted in the open sea and activists to face arrest.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni urged the flotilla to stop, saying that the aid mission could undermine hopes for peace based on U.S. President Donald Trump's 20-point proposal.
Pope Leo also expressed concern for the safety of flotilla members.
"From all sides, people are saying, 'let's hope that there will not be violence, that people are respected'. That's very important," the pope told reporters as he left a Vatican residence outside Rome.
Israel began its Gaza offensive after the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel in which some 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken as hostages, according to Israeli tallies. The offensive has since killed over 66,000 Palestinians, Gaza health authorities say.
(Reporting by Alvise Armellini, Angelo Amante and Anna Uras; Editing by Alexandra Hudson and Lisa Shumaker)
