Six members of the Italian delegation taking part in the Global Sumud Flotilla humanitarian land convoy bound for Gaza returned to Italy on Wednesday after being repatriated from Libya via Istanbul. The group landed at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport shortly after 9:30 a.m.
The activists had been caught up in escalating tensions on Monday while camped in Sirte, where they were waiting for the release of ten fellow convoy members detained by Libyan forces affiliated with General Khalifa Haftar. Among those still held are two Italians, Domenico Centrone and Leonarda Alberizia, who were accused of illegal entry while attempting to negotiate the convoy’s advance.
The six activists left Sirte on Tuesday morning aboard buses escorted by military vehicles and traveled to Misurata Airport, around 210 kilometers southeast of Tripoli. From there, they boarded a flight to Turkey before continuing on to Italy.