Italy’s Adriatic port of Ravenna made headlines Thursday after blocking two trucks reportedly carrying weapons bound for Israel, in a bold act of solidarity with Palestinians under siege in Gaza.

The move comes amid a surge of strikes, port blockades, and mass mobilizations across Italy as workers, unions, and local authorities step up pressure to halt what they describe as Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people.

Ravenna’s center-left mayor, Alessandro Barattoni, confirmed that the port authority acted following a request from him and the regional government to stop the vehicles, which were reportedly carrying explosives destined for 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 still pass through Italy from other countries,” Barattoni said in a statement.

While he did not disclose the origin of the containers, the action signals a growing determination among Italian officials and workers to halt the flow of weapons enabling Israel’s devastating war on Gaza.

Ravenna’s action mirrors similar resistance by dockworkers in France, Sweden, and Greece, where trade unions and grassroots groups have blocked arms shipments to Israel over the past year. These efforts form part of a broader international boycott and solidarity movement, aimed at cutting off the supply chain of weapons fueling the assault on Gaza.

Riccardo Rudino of the Calp dockers’ union in Genoa declared that Italian ports would not become complicit in war crimes: “We won’t let a single pin through the port,” Rudino said, vowing to escalate actions if arms shipments continue.

Italy’s largest trade union federation, CGIL, has called a half-day strike and nationwide marches on Friday, including a major demonstration in Rome. Two additional unions announced that they will shut down work and block port operations in Genoa and Livorno on September 22, signaling a wave of coordinated resistance that could paralyze commercial traffic.

CGIL leaders said their actions aim to pressure Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government to suspend all commercial and military cooperation with Israel, lift the humanitarian blockade on Gaza, and officially recognize the State of Palestine.

The protests come as the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza reaches unprecedented levels. More than 65,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed since Israel launched its military campaign last October following the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, according to local health authorities. Much of Gaza now lies in ruins, with entire neighborhoods flattened, hospitals destroyed, and famine threatening millions.

Activists argue that continuing to allow arms shipments through Italian territory makes the country complicit in the slaughter.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Thursday that Rome would support European Union sanctions against violent Israeli settlers and far-right ministers who have made inflammatory remarks about Gaza and the West Bank. He also indicated that Italy was open to considering trade sanctions against Israel if the situation continues to deteriorate.

For many in Italy’s labor and civil society movements, these steps are not enough. Calls are growing for a complete embargo on military exports and transits to Israel until the bombing stops and humanitarian aid flows freely into Gaza. (ILKHA)