Italian Defense minister Guido Crosetto announced today in his briefing to the Italian Chamber of Deputies that he has dispatched the Alpino to protect the Global Sumud Flotilla headed for Gaza. It is the Italian navy's second missile frigate after the Fasan, which the minister has decided to deploy to ensure the safety of the fleet of activists, including several Italians, sailing with the stated goal of delivering humanitarian aid to the Palestinian population. "We all care about the fate of every Italian -the minister said-. What I would like is for the aid the flotilla is bringing to Gaza to reach Gaza and for no one on the vessels involved to be harmed. That's why the ship has responded to all eventualities and approached the fleet".

Crosetto specified that protection will necessarily be limited to international waters, "outside of which we cannot protect anyone. Let this be clear". The defense minister, acting as spokesperson for the Italian government in coordination with the foreign ministry, also proposed to activists that aid for Gaza be delivered to Cyprus; from there, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem would mediate the delivery to Gaza, specifically to the Israeli port of Ashdod. At the time of writing, the Flotilla appears to have rejected the proposal, stating that it intends to maintain its goal of lifting the siege and delivering aid directly to Gaza.

On this topic, see also for details AVIONEWS.