Rome prosecutors widen Gaza flotilla probe to include senior Israeli officials

Rome prosecutors have expanded an investigation into the alleged mistreatment of Italian activists aboard Gaza-bound aid flotillas to include Israeli ministers and senior military, police and prison officials.

The investigation concerns the interception of vessels and detention of participants during two Global Freedom Flotilla missions, in September–October 2025 and April–May 2026.

According to the Rome Public Prosecutor’s Office, complaints filed by 50 Italian participants include allegations of torture, kidnapping, physical assault, theft and property damage.

The inquiry initially focused on National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. It has since widened to include officials suspected of directing, overseeing or participating in the interception operations and the activists’ subsequent detention.

Investigators, assisted by the counterterrorism unit of Italy’s Carabinieri Special Operations Group, used witness accounts and other available evidence to reconstruct events and identify officials in the relevant chains of command.

Their examination covers the interception of the vessels at sea, the activists’ transfer to Ashdod Port, their detention in Israeli facilities and their eventual release and return to Italy.

The officials named in the investigation include Defense Minister Israel Katz, Ben-Gvir and IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir.

The naval officials listed include former navy commander David Saar Salama, who served until December 24, 2025; navy chief of staff Tal Politis; Shayetet 13 commander Eldad Borokhovich; and Ashdod Naval Base commander Eitan Paz.

The investigation also names Israel Police Commissioner Daniel Levy, Israel Prison Service chief Kobi Yaakobi, Ketziot detention official Menahem Bibas, Nahshon prison escort unit commander Asaf Zagouri and Border Police commander Brik Yitzhak.

For the second flotilla mission, prosecutors identified a largely similar chain of command, with changes in the navy’s leadership that included commander Eyal Harel and chief of staff Guy Levi.

Prosecutors are examining the circumstances in which Israeli forces intercepted the vessels in international waters, including whether those actions violated international maritime law.

The complaints allege that forces destroyed equipment used for live broadcasts, damaged related devices and confiscated participants’ electronics.

Activists also reported physical and psychological abuse during the interceptions and detention. Their allegations include beatings, injuries, death threats, verbal abuse and accusations of terrorism. Complaints concerning the second mission also allege the use of stun guns and rubber bullets.

Other allegations include repeated failures to provide adequate food, denial of medical care despite urgent health needs, and conditions at Ketziot Prison that caused sleep deprivation. Participants also raised concerns about sanitation and other detention conditions.

Investigators are seeking to establish who issued orders, how the operations were supervised and whether individual officials bear criminal responsibility for the alleged acts.

The allegations remain under investigation. Being named in the inquiry does not establish guilt, and no final court ruling has determined the criminal responsibility of the officials involved.