Five Italian activists detained by Israeli forces in the West Bank have been released and repatriated to Italy. The women were returned on October 24, two days after their detention during the olive harvest.
On October 23, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani called for their immediate release. "What happened is unacceptable, they did not commit any crime," Tajani told reporters in Istanbul. He expressed hope that the women would be returned to Italy within hours.
The detention took place during the olive harvest
The Italian Foreign Ministry said the activists were detained on October 22 along with other international volunteers while accompanying Palestinian farmers in the al-Bweib area, south of Hebron.
Italian Foreign Ministry sources cited by Reuters identified Kiryat Arba, near Hebron, as the place where the women were detained by Israeli police. The difference in the locations has not been publicly explained.
The Italian embassy in Tel Aviv and the consulate general in Jerusalem have requested information from the Israeli authorities and have been in contact with them regarding the release and return of the activists.
The women were visited by Italian consular officials
Before their repatriation, Italian consular officials visited the five women at the airport. According to the Italian foreign ministry, they appeared to be in good physical condition. The activists were allowed to use their mobile phones and each spoke at least once with a lawyer.
Initially, Israeli authorities informed Italian diplomats that the women would be handed over to immigration authorities pending expulsion and subsequent return to Italy. On October 24, the Italian Foreign Ministry confirmed that the repatriation had already taken place.
Tensions over olive harvest
The case comes amid tensions over the olive harvest in the occupied West Bank. Reuters cited the Israeli human rights organization Yesh Din as saying that more than 330 incidents of settler violence, theft and damage to olive trees have been recorded since the start of this year's harvest.
Israeli security services say they take violence and criminal activity seriously. No charges have been publicly filed against the five Italian activists in this case.
Sources: ansa.it, internazionale.it