Italy probes Israel’s Katz over abuse, sexual assault of flotilla activists

Rome prosecutors also name 12 senior military, police and prison officials over alleged abuse of detained activists.

Activists of the Global Sumud Flotilla wearing Israeli prison uniforms arrive at Rome Fiumicino International Airport, Italy, on May 21, 2026 [File: Riccardo De Luca/Anadolu]

Italian prosecutors have placed Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz and 12 senior military, police and prison officials under investigation over the treatment of activists detained on Gaza-bound solidarity boats, widening a probe that had centred on far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

The Rome prosecutors’ office said on Friday that the case concerns suspected torture, kidnapping, personal injury, robbery and damage when Israeli forces intercepted small fleets of activist boats heading towards Gaza in 2025 and 2026.

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It opened the investigation after complaints from 50 Italian citizens who were detained following two Global Sumud Flotilla missions last year and this year.

Those named as suspects include Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir.

Prosecutors said activists detained after the first mission in 2025 reported beatings , injuries, death threats, insults and accusations of terrorism. Those on the second mission in 2026 reported harsher treatment, including beatings in the dark and the use of tasers and rubber bullets, the statement said.

The activists reported at least 15 cases of sexual assault, including rape.

Luca Poggi, an Italian economist who was detained, told Reuters news agency in May: “We were stripped, thrown to the ground, kicked.”

Ben-Gvir dismissed news of the investigation in June, saying he would “continue to stand proudly alongside” Israeli soldiers.

Flotilla organisers say they aim to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza by delivering humanitarian aid.

What prompted the case

The first Global Sumud Flotilla set sail from Barcelona in September 2025 with 42 boats and 462 activists. Israeli forces intercepted it in international waters in early October that year, with hundreds detained and later deported.

The second mission left Barcelona in April 2026. Israeli forces began intercepting its vessels near the southern Greek island of Crete on April 30, and by May 19 had detained about 430 people on some 50 ships in international waters, with the final interceptions taking place off Cyprus.

Ben-Gvir later posted a video showing him taunting activists who were cable-tied and kneeling at a makeshift prison at the port of Ashdod while Israel’s national anthem played.

People stage a protest in Rome on April 30, 2026, after activists attempting to break Israel’s maritime blockade of Gaza say Israeli forces have intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla near the southern Greek island of Crete [Andrew Medichini/AP Photo]

Prosecutors said they sent Israel a request for judicial assistance in June, seeking information to reconstruct events and establish individual responsibility, but did not say whether Israel had responded.

They also held talks at Eurojust, the EU’s judicial cooperation agency, as other similar investigations are under way in other European countries.

Under Italian law, crimes committed abroad against Italian citizens can be prosecuted in Rome.

If the investigation finds the charges warranted, prosecutors could formally request a trial.

罗马检察官还指控 12 名高级军官、警察和监狱官员涉嫌虐待被拘留的活动人士。

2026年5月21日，身穿以色列囚服的全球苏穆德船队活动人士抵达意大利罗马菲乌米奇诺国际机场。[图片：Riccardo De Luca/Anadolu]

意大利检察官已对以色列国防部长以色列·卡茨和 12 名高级军事、警察和监狱官员展开调查，原因是他们对待被拘留在前往加沙的声援船上的活动人士的方式存在问题。此前，调查主要集中在极右翼国家安全部长伊塔马尔·本-格维尔身上。

罗马检察官办公室周五表示，此案涉及以色列军队在 2025 年和 2026 年拦截前往加沙的小型活动人士船队时涉嫌实施的酷刑、绑架、人身伤害、抢劫和破坏行为。

名单1/3：加沙船队活动人士指控在以色列拘留期间遭受虐待和性侵犯

意大利外交部长抨击以色列外长本-格维尔“反复无常”的言论（共3条，此为第2条）

名单3/3“积极参与抵制、撤资、制裁运动”：文件揭露以色列如何审查全球非政府组织

此前，50名意大利公民投诉称，他们在去年和今年的两次“全球苏穆德船队”任务后被拘留，随后当局展开了调查。

被列为嫌疑人的包括以色列国防军总司令埃亚尔·扎米尔。

检方表示，在2025年首次行动后被拘留的活动人士报告称，他们遭到殴打、受伤、死亡威胁、侮辱和恐怖主义指控。声明称，在2026年第二次行动中被拘留的活动人士报告称，他们遭受了更残酷的待遇，包括在黑暗中遭到殴打以及被使用电击枪和橡皮子弹。

活动人士报告称，至少发生了 15 起性侵犯案件，其中包括强奸案。

被拘留的意大利经济学家卢卡·波吉 (Luca Poggi) 在 5 月份告诉路透社：“我们被剥光衣服，扔到地上，遭到踢打。”

本·格维尔在六月份驳斥了有关调查的消息，称他将“继续自豪地与”以色列士兵站在一起。

船队组织者表示，他们的目标是通过运送人道主义援助来打破以色列对加沙的封锁。

是什么引发了这起案件

2025年9月，首届全球苏穆德船队从巴塞罗那启航，共有42艘船只和462名活动人士。同年10月初，以色列军队在国际水域拦截了该船队，数百人被拘留，随后被驱逐出境。

第二次行动于 2026 年 4 月从巴塞罗那出发。以色列军队于 4 月 30 日开始在希腊南部克里特岛附近拦截其船只，到 5 月 19 日，已在国际水域的约 50 艘船上拘留了约 430 人，最后的拦截行动发生在塞浦路斯附近。

本-格维尔后来发布了一段视频，视频中他嘲讽那些被捆绑着跪在阿什杜德港临时监狱里的活动人士，同时以色列国歌正在播放。

2026年4月30日，在试图打破以色列对加沙海上封锁的活动人士称以色列军队在希腊南部克里特岛附近拦截了“全球苏穆德”船队后，罗马民众举行抗议活动。[安德鲁·梅迪奇尼/美联社照片]

检察官表示，他们于 6 月份向以色列发出司法协助请求，寻求信息以重现事件经过并确定个人责任，但没有说明以色列是否作出了回应。

他们还在欧盟司法合作机构欧洲司法组织举行了会谈，因为其他欧洲国家也在进行类似的调查。

根据意大利法律，在国外对意大利公民实施的犯罪行为可以在罗马进行起诉。

如果调查发现指控属实，检察官可以正式要求审判。