BRUSSELS

Italy's Unione Sindacale di Base (USB) trade union on Wednesday declared a nationwide general strike on Oct. 3 following reports that the Gaza-bound aid flotilla, the Global Sumud Fleet, is being intercepted.

The union recalled its earlier pledge to halt work if the convoy was targeted, accusing Israel of violating international law.

"Attacked the Global Sumud Fleet. Israel attacks international law. Now is the time to block everything," the union said in a statement on the US social media platform X.

The group called for immediate mobilizations "in all squares" ahead of the strike date.

On Friday, Italy's largest trade union, CGIL, also called a general strike if the humanitarian flotilla to Gaza is blocked or attacked.

The flotilla, loaded mainly with humanitarian aid and medical supplies, set sail at the end of August and was expected to reach Gaza’s coast on Thursday morning under normal circumstances.

This marked the first time in years that more than 50 ships have sailed together toward Gaza, carrying 532 civilian supporters from over 45 countries to the enclave of 2.4 million Palestinians that has been under Israeli blockade for roughly 18 years.

Israel tightened the siege further on March 2 by closing all border crossings and blocking food, medicine, and aid, pushing Gaza into famine despite aid trucks piling up at its borders.

The Israeli army has killed over 66,100 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in Gaza since October 2023. The relentless bombardment has rendered the enclave uninhabitable and led to starvation and the spread of diseases.