By Jade Bezzina

Copyright maltatoday

The Italian port of Ravenna on Thursday refused entry to two vehicles said to be carrying weapons to Israel following dock workers’ alert to port authorities.

The city mayor of Ravenna, Alessandro Barattoni, told reporters that the port authority had accepted his and the regional government’s request to halt the shipment, and to deny further access to trucks carrying explosives to the Israeli port of Haifa.

“The Italian state says it has blocked the sale of arms to Israel but it is unacceptable that, thanks to bureaucratic loopholes, they can pass through Italy from other countries”, Barattoni said.

Details entailing where the containers had originated from, or any evidence on their contents, have yet to be communicated.

European countries such as Sweden, France, and Greece have also employed similar actions in order to block shipments like these towards Israel.

Amist these measures, Italy’s largest trade union, CGIL, will be hosting a national half-day protest and strike, whilst on the 22nd of September two other unions will be halting work and blocking activities in large ports, like Genoa and Livorno.

Piccardo Rudino, member of the Calp dockers union in Genoa said that they “will not let one pin pass through the port”.

Italian dockworkers and other labor groups will be protesting against the offensive in Gaza, and aim at putting pressure on Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to suspend all commercial and military agreements with Israel and formally recognize the State of Palestine.

Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Thursday that Italy would also support EU sanctions against violent Israeli settlers and Israeli ministers who have made “unacceptable” remarks towards Gaza and the West Bank.