The key facts

  • 14 international volunteers were detained near Kafr Ni'ma, about 23 km from Ramallah, while helping Palestinians harvest olives
  • Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani called for the Italians to be brought home as soon as possible
  • Among the detainees is La Spezia municipal councilor Giorgia Lombardi; lawmaker Angelo Bonelli says the volunteers' passports were confiscated

Detention during the olive harvest

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani commented on Friday on the detention of Italians by Israeli authorities in the occupied West Bank, the Anadolu agency reports, citing ANSA. “We are following the case. They did nothing wrong, they were simply engaged in agricultural work, harvesting olives. We hope they can be sent back to Italy as soon as possible,” the outlet quotes him as saying.

Who was detained and where

The detainees were part of a group of 14 international volunteers arrested near the village of Kafr Ni'ma, about 23 kilometers (14 miles) from Ramallah, where they were helping Palestinian farmers harvest olives. Among the Italians was Giorgia Lombardi, a member of the La Spezia municipal council and a member of the National Council of the Europa Verde party.

The lawmaker's account and demands

Angelo Bonelli, a member of parliament from the Greens and Left Alliance and co-chair of Europa Verde, said the volunteers were attacked after Palestinian farmers came under assault by Israeli occupiers. According to him, Israeli forces then detained the volunteers and confiscated their passports. These allegations are reported based on Bonelli's statements and are not confirmed by other sources in the publication. Bonelli called on the Italian Foreign Ministry and diplomatic representatives to take immediate action to ensure the safety and release of the Italian citizens and other volunteers.