The Italian activists of the Global Sumud Flotilla, released by Israel after being kidnapped in international waters, arrived at Fiumicino Airport at 11:30 PM . Among them was Emanuela Pala, a Sardinian journalist for La7, who was able to embrace her family who arrived from Cagliari : her parents, her sister Antonella, her brother-in-law, and her five-year-old niece.

"I was only able to speak to her for twenty seconds. All things considered, she's fine, and she seemed even more determined than before to speak out about the inhumane things happening in Gaza," her sister Antonella said before seeing her again. The phone call came from Istanbul, where the Italians had landed, from the Consulate's telephone "because she threw her Emanuela into the sea when the Israeli soldiers boarded the plane." Other Italians, 26 in total, have arrived at Malpensa. Fifteen have not signed the voluntary release form and must await forced judicial expulsion next week.

The activists were greeted with chants, applause, and flag-waving. They immediately described being treated "terribly."

"We are exhausted. What really devastated us were the hours spent in Israeli prisons and the journey there: there we truly understood what they could have done to the Palestinians. There were 15 women in a four-bed cell; there were 10 of us in a seven-bed cell, with only one roll of toilet paper, no water, and with food eaten on the floor: and above all, the aggression and hatred shown towards us when we had left in peace," is the testimony of Paolo De Montis .

Cesare Tofani recounts: "We were treated terribly . At first, when we were intercepted, they weren't very harsh because, according to them, we were supposed to help bring the boat to port. We remained inactive; they didn't use violence against us. From the army we went to the police. There was harassment. They treated us like they treat terrorists, Palestinians. We had tap water. We had little to eat."

"We're exhausted, but we're fine. It's been tough," Michele Saponara said. "But it's never been as hard as it is, every day, for the Gazans, the Palestinians, for all the people who experience this oppression and bullying. We must keep fighting: right now, it's crucial to keep doing so for our comrades who are still there; we absolutely must bring them home; it's the priority ."

Saverio Tommasi , journalist for Fanpage: "We were kidnapped by an armed gang in international waters. They took away everyone's medicine: heart patients, asthmatics, and an 86-year-old man whose asthma canister was taken away . He felt ill, as did the other people. And despite requests, banging loudly on the cells, a doctor was never sent. The water was from the bathroom tap, warm and rancid. The food was scarce ."

"Personally," Tommasi adds, "they literally took my wedding rings away from me: I had to argue with the judge, and only thanks to that was they returned to me when I arrived in Istanbul by plane. I imagine the aid will all have sunk along with the boats."

Greta Thumberg? "We saw her inside and also at the port: her arms were tied and an Israeli flag was nearby, mocking her, like the verbal and psychological abuse they always used, to ridicule, belittle, and laugh at times when there was nothing to laugh about."

(Unioneonline)

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