Italian media reported that the workers announced immediately upon the ship's docking that they would not participate in any such operations, stressing their refusal to allow the passage of goods bound for Israel.
Gianfranco Francesi, head of the Italian General Confederation of Labor in Livorno, said the workers would "defend their port" and would not provide any services to the ship.
This action comes as part of a series of actions in other Italian ports, including Genoa, Ravenna, Taranto, and Marghera in Venice, where port workers have prevented ships carrying explosives or fuel to Israel from docking over the past ten days.
In a related development, the labor union has decided to call for a general strike if the Israeli military intercepts the international "Resilience Flotilla," currently sailing toward Gaza carrying humanitarian aid.
The flotilla's organizers announced at dawn on Wednesday that it had entered a "high-risk zone" as it approached the Gaza Strip's coast. International organizations, including Amnesty International, warned against any attack on the flotilla, while the United Nations affirmed that intercepting it was "unacceptable."
According to the official Israeli Broadcasting Corporation, more than 50 ships from the flotilla are approaching the coast of Gaza, while Israel continues its preparations to intercept them. This is the first time such a large number of ships have sailed collectively toward the Strip in an attempt to break the 18-year blockade.
The Gaza Strip has been suffering from a stifling blockade that has been intensified since last March. Israel has closed all crossings and prevented the entry of food, medicine, and humanitarian aid, causing widespread famine among more than 2.4 million Palestinians, most of whom are homeless after their homes were destroyed during the ongoing war.
Since October 7, 2023, Israeli attacks on Gaza have left more than 66,000 dead and 168,000 injured, the majority of them children and women, in addition to the deaths of hundreds of civilians from starvation as a result of the blockade.
