Italy’s foreign ministry says five Italian women activists detained in the West Bank during the olive harvest have been repatriated after being held by Israeli police. The women were detained on Thursday in Kiryat Arba, near Hebron, together with other international activists.
Across the reports, the activists’ stated purpose is to accompany and protect Palestinian farmers during the olive season. Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani says what happened is unacceptable and calls for the activists’ release, while hoping they would be freed shortly after detention. Reuters-linked reporting and other outlets frame the incident as occurring amid tensions around farming activity during the harvest.
Some outlets emphasize Italy’s formal confirmation of repatriation and detention details, while others lead with Italy’s demand for release. Euronews frames the broader context as “rising settler violence” surrounding the olive harvest, while others focus primarily on Italy’s response and the location and circumstances of the detention.
