BRUSSELS

Italy's largest trade union CGIL is ready to call a general strike if the humanitarian flotilla to Gaza is blocked or attacked, its Secretary General Maurizio Landini said Friday.

"We are ready for a general strike if the Flotilla mission is blocked, if the ships are seized, if there is a new attack, because for us the objective must be to stop the invasion and the Netanyahu government, recognize the Palestinian state, get aid to Gaza, and prevent the genocide that is underway," Landini told reporters, according to ANSA news agency.

The Global Sumud Flotilla, made up of about 50 ships, set sail earlier this month, intending to break Israel’s blockade and deliver humanitarian aid, particularly medical supplies, to the Gaza Strip, where 2.4 million Palestinians have been under siege for 18 years.

Landini criticized the Italian government’s stance on the issue, calling it "serious."

Last week, workers across Italy went on strike following calls from grassroots trade unions to protest the situation in Gaza, with demonstrations held in several cities, including Genoa, Livorno, Milan, Rome, and Bologna.

He also said that CGIL’s national and regional secretaries would meet later Friday evening to discuss and monitor the situation.

UN investigators recently concluded that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, where over 65,500 people have been killed since October 2023.