Wednesday, May 20th 2026
Dario Carotenuto’s appeal: “A mass kidnapping, sanctions are needed…!”
“As long as they allow us to continue, we will march towards Gaza. But we know that they can arrive at any moment…”. This is the telephone statement of Dario Carotenuto, deputy of the Movimento 5 Stelle, at around 14:00 on Monday, from the board of the Turkish-flagged ship Kasr Sadabat.
She was the only one of the ten ships of the Sumud Flotilla still sailing towards Gaza. In the evening, the ship was stopped by the Israeli forces, who, according to the Italian authorities, also used firearms, fortunately without causing any injuries.
According to official data, there are 29 Italian citizens among the hundreds arrested within the symbolic international humanitarian mission of the Sumud Flotilla. Among them is the Albanian Muslim activist Baki Goxhaj. In this interview, Carotenuto denounces the brutal behavior of the Israeli government and calls for punitive sanctions.
Does the clear condemnation of the behavior of the Israeli army, even by the Italian government, give you courage?
It seems to me that the atmosphere has changed. No one considers what Benjamin Netanyahu is doing acceptable. Then there are different tones in the sentence. The right is more cautious, but still has a stronger stance compared to the past.
If we had an Italian frigate to accompany us here, in international waters, we would feel safer. This would probably have prevented these acts of piracy. In general, I would like words to be accompanied by actions.
In addition to demanding the release of all detained activists, I expect more authority in taking a political stance. For example, lining up with European countries that demand the imposition of sanctions on the Israeli government and on ministers who declare that they want to exterminate Palestinians from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
You talk about ‘kidnapped activists’. Is Israel responsible for a mass kidnapping?
I see no other way to define what happened in international waters, and I want to emphasize this.
Sanctions are a necessary first step. Against Russia they were decided immediately after the invasion of Ukraine, while nothing has been done against Israel for two years, despite the genocide that has been committed and continues to be committed in Gaza.
Why is what you are doing important anyway?
Because you cannot sit still and watch the suffering of a people left without food and medicine. Children forced to live among rats, without any future. We are at sea for them, so that no one forgets them.
Risk ending up in an Israeli prison…
We have taken this into account. I take this opportunity to once again appeal to the Italian and international authorities: intervene immediately, with all means of pressure, to ensure the release of the activists.
They are peaceful, non-violent and have not committed any crime. They only want the end of the genocide in Palestine. Netanyahu must be told to stop, otherwise he will continue to do whatever he wants. And we will be next. square
Source: prizrenpost
Etiketa: Brief
