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 surfers, among the few remaining practitioners of the sport in the Gaza Strip, gather on Gaza City’s coastline where the sounds of crashing waves contrast sharply with the devastation left by years of conflict.

“This sport is indescribable. When you catch a wave, ride it, glide along it, that feeling can’t be put into words,” said 23-year-old Taheen Abu Assi, who learned surfing from his father and grandfather.

Abu Assi said the conflict had not diminished his commitment to the sport, describing surfing as a rare source of relief amid uncertainty.

“We learned little by little, and even with the war, the shelling, and the destruction, we’re still continuing with this sport, because it lets us breathe and makes us feel safe,” he said.

Although a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect in October after two years of war, violence continues to affect daily life in the coastal enclave. Both sides have accused each other of repeated violations of the truce.

The dangers extend beyond land. In recent months, local medical officials and security sources have reported incidents involving fishermen injured by Israeli fire near Gaza’s coastline.

“The situation is still unstable,” Abu Assi said. “At any moment, shells or explosives could land near you.”

Despite the risks, the surfers paddle into the Mediterranean, temporarily escaping the pressures of life in a territory where large areas have been devastated by conflict and hundreds of thousands remain displaced.

The sport faces additional challenges due to shortages of specialized equipment caused by wartime disruptions and continuing restrictions on imports.

“One of the biggest challenges and difficulties we face as surfers in the Gaza Strip is the lack of tools and equipment specific to this sport,” said 19-year-old Abdel Rahim Al-Ustadh.

According to Al-Ustadh, surf wax is unavailable in Gaza, forcing surfers to improvise with candle wax to maintain grip on their boards.

Many rely on aging equipment that has survived years of use. Holding a worn surfboard estimated to be nearly 20 years old, Al-Ustadh said preserving existing boards was critical because replacing them was virtually impossible.

“As surfers, we treat these boards like great treasures to us, because losing any board or having it confiscated threatens our ability to continue in this sport,” he said.

The conflict has dramatically reduced Gaza’s surfing community. Khalil Abu Jiyab, 18, said a team of 17 surfers existed before the war, but only three remain active today due to equipment shortages and the loss of boards.

“I’ve been surfing for 13 years now, and my hopes have almost been shattered,” Abu Jiyab said, while expressing a desire to one day compete outside Gaza.

For many of Gaza’s remaining surfers, the sea continues to offer a rare sense of freedom in an environment shaped by conflict and uncertainty.

“There’s nothing in Gaza you can really look forward to except the sea,” Abu Jiyab said. “The only outlet in Gaza is the sea; without it, life would have vanished long ago.”

The ministry said the total number of deaths since the start of the conflict had reached 73,001, according to Zaher Al-Waheidi, head of its records department, and Hamza Salem from its public relations department.
Five Palestinians were killed over the weekend, including two in the southern city of Khan Younis and one in central Gaza, while two others died from earlier injuries, the ministry said.

More than 173,200 people have been wounded since the war began after the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which killed about 1,200 people and resulted in the capture of 251 hostages.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said an Israeli strike on Saturday evening killed two Palestinians in Khan Younis, with the casualties taken to Nasser Hospital. The Israeli military did not immediately comment.

The Gaza Health Ministry, which operates under the Hamas-led administration, is staffed by medical professionals and keeps detailed casualty records that United Nations agencies and independent experts have generally considered reliable. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its overall figures.

The ministry has said women and children account for around half of those killed.

Israel says it seeks to avoid civilian casualties and accuses Hamas of operating in densely populated areas. The Israeli military says its operations target militants and are conducted in response to security threats and alleged violations of the ceasefire.

The US-brokered ceasefire agreement reached in October halted large-scale military operations and resulted in the release of remaining hostages.
However, implementation of other parts of the agreement has stalled, with disagreements over Hamas disarmament and Israeli troop movements.

Both sides have accused each other of violating the deal while maintaining that it remains in force.
Five Israeli soldiers have been killed since the ceasefire began.

Abu Safiya, 53, the former director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, appeared before the court through a video connection as judges considered whether to extend his detention. No ruling had been issued by Thursday afternoon, according to Physicians for Human Rights–Israel (PHRI).

The pediatrician became widely known during the war in Gaza for documenting conditions inside Kamal Adwan Hospital during an 85-day Israeli military siege. Through videos released during the conflict, he appealed for international assistance as medical staff struggled to treat patients amid severe shortages and ongoing hostilities.

Images from Wednesday’s hearing showed Abu Safiya wearing white prison clothing and handcuffs. Observers said he appeared visibly thinner and pale, with marks visible on his arms.

PHRI said Abu Safiya was recently transferred to solitary confinement. His son, Elias Abu Safiya, said the move occurred shortly after the doctor challenged his detention through legal channels.

Israeli authorities have not formally charged Abu Safiya with a crime. The Israeli military has said he is being investigated on suspicion of cooperating with or working for Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that governs Gaza. Medical colleagues and international aid organizations that worked with him have rejected those allegations.

Following the hearing, defense lawyer Nasser Odeh conveyed a statement he said came from Abu Safiya, in which the doctor maintained that his work had been solely humanitarian and medical in nature.

Israel’s Justice Ministry did not immediately comment on the case. The Israeli Prison Service rejected allegations of mistreatment, stating that all detainees receive professional medical care and that complaints submitted through official channels are examined.

According to PHRI, 14 physicians from Gaza remain in Israeli detention. Rights organizations have repeatedly raised concerns about the detention of medical personnel during the conflict and have called for greater transparency regarding their legal status and conditions of confinement.

The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli figures. Israel’s subsequent military campaign in Gaza has killed nearly 73,000 people, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, whose figures are widely cited by international organizations though they do not distinguish between civilians and combatants.

The Supreme Court’s decision on Abu Safiya’s detention remains pending.