Huge numbers turned out at pro-Palestinian rallies in Europe on Saturday, calling for an immediate end to the war in Gaza and the release of activists on board a flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to the territory. The police in Rome said some 250,000 turned out for a fourth day of protests, after Israel intercepted the 45-strong flotilla seeking to reach Gaza earlier this week.
Late in the afternoon, in less than two hours, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) took control of the flotilla's three main ships, carrying a total of 90 passengers: Alma, which contained the entire mission's leadership (including Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, whose arrest the Israeli government subsequently shared images of), Sirius, which carried former mayor of Barcelona Ada Colau, and Adara, which comprised approximately 25 people.
Italian unions call for general strike as global protests grow and multiple governments criticise Israel. Israel has intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla while en route to Gaza, leading to swift criticism from global leaders as protesters gather in cities around the world including Istanbul, Athens, Buenos Aires, Rome, Berlin, and Madrid to condemn the raid. At least 44 countries were represented in the 500-person flotilla, including the United States, the UK, Belgium and Spain, Malaysia, Turkiye and Colombia.