Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani confirmed the release of the three activists, who were part of an international convoy seeking to transport humanitarian supplies, including medicine and temporary housing units, to the Gaza Strip.

According to the Global Sumud Flotilla, the group was among approximately 230 activists from multiple countries involved in the overland mission. The organization said the three Italians had crossed into neighboring Tunisia following their release and were accompanied by a Tunisian activist who had also been detained.

The activists were identified by Tajani as Domenico Centrone, Leonarda Alberizia and Matias Alvarez Rodriguez, an Italian citizen born in Uruguay.

The Global Sumud Flotilla said another six detainees were expected to be released within the next 24 hours. The organization alleged that those held had been subjected to arbitrary detention, communication restrictions and sustained psychological pressure during their confinement.

The detentions occurred amid growing international attention on activist-led efforts to challenge restrictions on access to Gaza, where humanitarian agencies have repeatedly warned of shortages of food, medicine and essential supplies following months of conflict.

Israel maintains control over access points into Gaza and has enforced a blockade on the territory since 2007. During the war, aid deliveries have faced repeated disruptions, intensifying concerns among international humanitarian organizations.

The release comes weeks after Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni criticized the treatment of activists detained during previous Gaza-related missions. Her comments followed the circulation of video footage posted by an Israeli minister showing detained activists bound and kneeling, images that drew criticism from several governments, including Australia, Canada and Spain.

The Global Sumud Flotilla has organized a series of maritime and overland initiatives intended to deliver assistance to Gaza. Last month, around 50 vessels departed from Türkiye as part of a renewed effort to reach the enclave after earlier missions were intercepted.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected the flotilla campaign, describing it as an operation designed to assist Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that governs Gaza.

Previous attempts by activists to reach Gaza have encountered repeated obstacles. In April, a flotilla operating in international waters near Greece was intercepted, and most participants were subsequently returned to Europe.

The circumstances surrounding the detention of the activists in Libya have not been publicly detailed by Libyan authorities.

The latest recoveries occurred near the coastal city of Tobruk, close to Libya’s border with Egypt, where search teams have been conducting operations since the vessel sank.

According to security and medical sources, the newly recovered bodies were found over recent days after the body of a woman was discovered on Sunday. Authorities said all of the remains were in an advanced state of decomposition.

Last week, rescue and recovery teams retrieved 15 bodies, including that of a young girl, from several locations along the Tobruk coastline. Ten survivors were rescued from the incident and later told authorities that the boat had been carrying approximately 61 people when it capsized, according to a Libyan navy source.

Based on survivor accounts, dozens of passengers remain unaccounted for and are feared lost at sea.

Photographs released by the Tobruk Coast Guard showed members of the search and rescue department working alongside volunteers from the Libyan Red Crescent to recover bodies from the shoreline. The images depicted rescue workers wrapping the remains in white cloth before transporting them for burial.

Medical officials said the condition of the bodies has complicated identification efforts. One source said many victims are being buried shortly after recovery because decomposition has rendered identification increasingly difficult.

Security patrols continue to monitor beaches and coastal areas around Tobruk amid expectations that additional bodies may be carried ashore by currents in the coming days.

Libya remains one of the principal departure points for migrants and asylum seekers attempting to reach Europe across the Mediterranean Sea. Many originate from sub-Saharan African countries and undertake dangerous journeys through Libya in search of safety, employment opportunities or escape from conflict and economic hardship.

The country’s prolonged instability since 2011 has enabled extensive migrant-smuggling networks to operate along its coastline, making the central Mediterranean route one of the world’s deadliest migration corridors.

Humanitarian organizations have repeatedly warned that overcrowded vessels, poor weather conditions and limited rescue capacity continue to contribute to recurring maritime tragedies in the region.

Authorities have not yet released details regarding the nationality of the victims or the circumstances that led to the sinking.

The vessel was carrying approximately 61 migrants, according to accounts provided by 10 survivors, a Libyan navy source told Reuters. The circumstances surrounding the sinking remain under investigation.

The bodies were discovered over the past week at multiple locations along the coastline near Tobruk, a port city close to Libya’s border with Egypt. Two security officials said the remains were in an advanced state of decomposition, suggesting they had been in the water for an extended period. Authorities warned that additional bodies could yet be found.

Images shared by the Tobruk Red Crescent on social media showed rescue workers wearing protective suits recovering bodies from rocky coastal areas and transferring them into body bags.

The latest incident underscores the continuing risks faced by migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean from North Africa to Europe. Libya has remained a major transit hub for migrants and refugees since the 2011 uprising that toppled former leader Muammar Qaddafi, with many undertaking perilous sea journeys in search of safety or economic opportunity.

Libya’s oil-based economy also attracts migrants from neighboring countries and beyond who seek employment despite the country’s political instability and security challenges.

In a separate incident, the Emergency Medicine and Support Center in the city of Khums, operating under Libya’s Health Ministry in Tripoli, said medical teams treated 13 migrants after another boat capsized off the coast.

The two incidents highlight the persistent humanitarian challenges in the central Mediterranean, one of the world’s deadliest migration routes, where overcrowded and unseaworthy vessels continue to place migrants at significant risk.

Speaking to private broadcaster Action 24, Plevris said Greece would further tighten its migration framework and rejected what he described as external interference from international institutions, including the United Nations and European bureaucratic bodies, in national migration policy.

He said that repeated concern expressed by organisations such as Amnesty International and UN agencies reinforced his support for the government’s approach, adding that criticism from such bodies strengthened rather than weakened his political position.

The comments come as Greece’s conservative government faces increased migrant arrivals via the Mediterranean route from eastern Libya, prompting closer engagement with Libyan authorities and broader support for stricter European Union migration policies.

Greece is also cooperating with eastern Libyan authorities through coast guard training and economic support programmes, including employment initiatives and investment cooperation aimed at reducing migrant departures across the Mediterranean, according to officials.

The policy shift aligns with wider discussions within the European Union over establishing migrant processing centres outside Europe for individuals whose asylum claims have been rejected, a proposal that has drawn criticism from rights groups.

Greek authorities reported that arrivals and interceptions on the island of Crete increased by more than 20 percent to around 5,500 through May compared with the same period last year, with flows accelerating in early June.

Libya has become a key transit hub for migrants attempting to reach Europe, facilitated by human trafficking networks operating amid prolonged instability across the country’s borders with multiple neighbouring states.

Analysts say eastern Libyan authorities are seeking deeper diplomatic and financial engagement with European governments as migration pressures increase across the central Mediterranean route.

The Emergency Medicine and Support Center, which operates under the Libyan health ministry, said the bodies washed ashore in the coastal city of Khums, about 118 km east of Tripoli.

Authorities said all the bodies have been buried. Images shared by the agency showed rescue workers wearing protective suits handling the remains during recovery and burial operations.

Libya has remained a major transit point for migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean since the 2011 uprising that toppled former leader Muammar Qaddafi.

Thousands of migrants, mainly from sub-Saharan Africa, continue to use the country as a departure point despite dangerous desert crossings and high-risk sea journeys toward Europe.

Founded in 1955, the institution in eastern Libya was heavily damaged during battles between jihadist groups and forces led by military commander Khalifa Haftar between 2014 and 2016, after the uprising that toppled longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi.

University president Ezzedin Younis Eddressi said in an interview that around 90 percent of the campus complex had been destroyed during the conflict and that explosives had been planted across the grounds when jihadist groups controlled the city. He also said rare manuscripts dating back centuries were looted but later recovered.

Despite the destruction, classes continued during the worst years of the fighting using alternative facilities across Benghazi, with schools shared between schoolchildren in the morning and university students in the afternoon, according to the administration.

Nearly 70,000 students now attend the university, still using temporary facilities while a new campus—covering about 600 hectares—is expected to open in the coming months. The reconstruction has been overseen by Libya’s Reconstruction Fund, which is headed by Belgacem Haftar, son of Khalifa Haftar.

Students and graduates interviewed by AFP described gradual improvements in security and infrastructure. Maryam Alrefadi, a graduate who now teaches French online, said the city had regained stability and opportunities compared to the conflict years, while current students said conditions had improved significantly despite lingering economic challenges.

Ayesha Al-Mogassbi, a 19-year-old student, said earlier years were marked by shortages and instability but added that students now aim for broader opportunities and development. Others noted that students from across Libya, including Tripoli, are studying together, reflecting a sense of national cohesion despite the country’s political divisions.

Libya remains split between rival administrations in the east and west, though university officials emphasized plans to maintain open access and international academic partnerships as part of long-term rebuilding efforts.

The confidential papers, published by the British government on Thursday, reveal that Buckingham Palace actively backed Andrew’s elevation to a high-profile trade promotion role that he held from 2001 until 2011.

“The Queen is very keen that the Duke of York should take on a prominent role in the promotion of national interests,” the head of Britain’s trade body wrote in one of the documents released.

Another government memo circulated to British trade officials overseas warned that Andrew’s “high public profile” would require “careful and sometimes strict media management.”

The disclosures emerged months after British lawmakers accused Andrew of prioritizing his relationship with late financier Jeffrey Epstein over Britain’s national interests, intensifying scrutiny of the monarchy’s handling of the scandal.

Trade Minister Chris Bryant said in a statement to parliament that officials found “no evidence that a formal due diligence or vetting process was undertaken” before Andrew assumed the envoy position.

Bryant said the appointment had been viewed at the time as a continuation of the royal family’s long-standing involvement in promoting British trade and investment abroad following the Duke of Kent’s withdrawal from related duties.

The minister also confirmed the government was cooperating with an investigation by Thames Valley Police into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and possible misconduct in public office.

Andrew was stripped of his royal titles last year by King Charles III as the monarchy sought to contain fallout linked to the Epstein scandal and wider questions surrounding the conduct of senior royals.

The former duke resigned as Britain’s special trade representative in 2011 after criticism over his associations with controversial figures in Libya and Azerbaijan.

Fresh scrutiny intensified after U.S. authorities released extensive court and investigative documents tied to Epstein, detailing his relationships with influential political, business and social figures across multiple countries.

The revelations have renewed debate in Britain over the influence of elite networks within public institutions, the monarchy and political circles.

The aircraft arrived Thursday at Piarco International Airport from the Bahamas for refueling before continuing onward to Libya through Cape Verde, according to the Airports Authority of Trinidad and Tobago.Immigration officials inspecting the aircraft found explosives onboard that had not been disclosed in accordance with international aviation and security procedures, the airport authority said in a statement.

Authorities detained the aircraft temporarily while conducting inquiries into the cargo documentation and security compliance. Officials later concluded that the crew and pilot bore no responsibility for the undeclared shipment.

“It was determined that no liability should be attributed to the pilot or crew,” the Airports Authority said, adding that the aircraft and personnel were subsequently authorized to leave Trinidad and Tobago.Officials did not specify the type or quantity of explosives being transported, nor did they disclose the aircraft’s ownership or final recipient in Libya.

Trinidad and Tobago, located off Venezuela’s northeastern coast, has long faced scrutiny from regional security agencies over narcotics trafficking and organized crime activity. The government has declared multiple states of emergency since 2021 in response to rising violent crime rates.

The incident comes amid heightened international monitoring of aviation cargo movements involving sensitive materials across conflict-linked transit routes.

Volunteers working with naval forces and coast guards affiliated with the Libyan National Army rescued seven survivors during recovery operations near the coastal city of Tobruk, close to Libya’s border with Egypt, the Red Crescent said in a statement.

The group said the vessel had been stranded at sea for more than a week before rescue teams reached it. Security officials said they expected the bodies of the nine missing migrants to wash ashore in the coming days.Images released by the Red Crescent showed volunteers placing bodies in black plastic bags before loading them onto pickup trucks for transport.

Libya remains a major transit route for migrants, many from sub-Saharan Africa, attempting to reach Europe by crossing the Mediterranean in overcrowded and often unsafe boats after fleeing poverty, violence and political instability.

Shipwrecks and deaths along the central Mediterranean route remain frequent, with human rights groups and international agencies repeatedly warning about the risks posed by traffickers operating from Libya’s coast.

On Tuesday, Libya’s attorney general said Tripoli Criminal Court sentenced four members of a criminal gang based in the western city of Zuwara to prison terms of up to 22 years for human trafficking, kidnapping for ransom and torture.

In a separate case, the Public Prosecutor’s Office ordered the arrest of another trafficking group accused of sending migrants from Tobruk on a deteriorating vessel that later capsized, causing the deaths of 38 Sudanese, Egyptian and Ethiopian nationals, according to the attorney general.

Authorities said the gang had arranged the sea crossing despite the unsafe condition of the boat, adding to growing scrutiny of trafficking networks operating along Libya’s eastern and western coasts.

Libya has struggled for years to control migrant smuggling routes amid political fragmentation and weak law enforcement, with rival administrations and armed groups competing for influence across the country.

The Tripoli Criminal Court convicted the four defendants in absentia, handing down prison terms ranging from 12 to 22 years, according to a statement published by the attorney general’s office on Facebook. The office did not disclose the identities of those convicted.

Prosecutors said the group was involved in smuggling undocumented migrants from the western coastal city of Zuwara, one of Libya’s main departure points for migrants attempting to reach Europe across the Mediterranean.

Authorities said the gang also abducted migrants and extorted ransom payments from their families, sending relatives videos showing victims being tortured in order to force payment.

Libya has become a major transit route for migrants and asylum seekers fleeing war, persecution and poverty in Africa and the Middle East since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that toppled longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi and plunged the country into prolonged instability.

Migrants often travel through dangerous desert crossings before attempting sea journeys to Europe in overcrowded and unsafe boats operated by smuggling networks.Two weeks ago, at least 17 bodies believed to be migrants were recovered from the shores of Zuwara by a local medical service center, highlighting the continuing risks faced by those attempting the crossing.

Separately, Libya’s Public Prosecutor’s Office on Monday ordered the arrest of another criminal group accused of sending migrants from the eastern city of Tobruk across the Mediterranean on an unsafe and dilapidated vessel that later capsized.

Authorities said the incident resulted in the deaths of 38 migrants from Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia.International scrutiny over Libya’s treatment of migrants has intensified in recent years.

In November, several countries including the United Kingdom, Spain, Norway and Sierra Leone urged Libya during a United Nations meeting in Geneva to close detention centers where rights groups say migrants and refugees have been tortured, abused and in some cases killed.