Apprehension in the La Spezia area and throughout the local and regional political world over the arrest of the LeAli municipal councilor in Spezia/Avs Giorgia Lombardi, member of the national council of Green Europe, together with 13 other international volunteers in the West Bank, while supporting Palestinian farmers in the olive harvest.
Also arrested with her was Lorenzo Diofili, a sound engineer who works in the field of staging for shows and events, often in Germany, and who is part of Assopace Palestina. Lorenzo's father, Sergio, is one of the technicians of Tele Liguria Sud.
The incident occurred near Kafr Ni'ma, about 20 kilometers from Ramallah, after an attack by Israeli settlers against Palestinian citizens and activists. The woman, at the moment, would be in good condition: her entourage reports this. "The group was stopped and is now waiting to find out whether they will be repatriated or freed. They were not hit, although it has already happened that settlers attacked the volunteers. He is well and is waiting to understand what his fate will be. We are very worried."
Lombardi, also known for her environmental commitment, is on her second mission to the West Bank to support farmers: in November 2025 she participated in a first expedition in an international group of 20 members and on that occasion too she suffered an attempted attack from settlers and threats from the Israeli army.
The alarm was raised by Angelo Bonelli, deputy of the Green and Left Alliance and co-spokesperson for Green Europe; other Italian citizens are present in the delegation. The parliamentarian reported that he "personally informed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after receiving a voice message from Giorgia Lombardi, in which she told me what was happening". According to testimony, Palestinians were brutally beaten by Israeli settlers and international volunteers were attacked. Subsequently, the Israeli army and police intervened and, instead of arresting the settlers responsible for the violence, arrested the volunteers engaged in the olive harvest, taking away their passports. "We are faced with yet another unacceptable episode of violence - accuses Bonelli - attributable to the policies of Netanyahu's criminal government, which the Italian government continues to tolerate. We ask for the immediate activation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and our diplomatic representation to guarantee the safety and release of the Italian citizens involved and the other volunteers. It is not acceptable that those who peacefully help the Palestinians are arrested while those who exercise violence go unpunished".
The political reaction was immediate. "I learn with great concern of what is happening to City Councilor Giorgia Lombardi in the West Bank: news that touches us deeply and leaves us dismayed. In the face of this news, political affiliations and alignments do not exist, but they leave full space for solidarity: Giorgia Lombardi is first and foremost one of our fellow citizens, a representative of our City Council and an integral part of our community. I would therefore like to express my heartfelt closeness to the Councilor, to her family, to the group leader Roberto Centi, to all the councilors part of his political representation and to the Europa Verde co-spokesperson Angelo Bonelli. We will follow all the developments of the matter with the utmost attention, and we remain at your complete disposal for him to return home as soon as possible" declares the mayor of La Spezia Pierluigi Peracchini. The municipal administration "is following with great attention and concern the news relating to the arrest of Giorgia Lombardi by the Israeli authorities in the West Bank. In this phase, the absolute priority is to ascertain what happened, know the situation and ensure that all the necessary protections and safety conditions are guaranteed" it said in a note. “The municipal administration will continue to constantly follow the evolution of the matter, maintaining contact with the competent institutions and with our diplomatic network, so that full clarity can be gained on the situation and all necessary assistance is guaranteed to councilor Lombardi” he reiterates.
"We express deep concern and indignation at the arrest of our municipal councilor Giorgia Lombardi, stopped by the Israeli authorities in the West Bank while, together with other international volunteers, she was peacefully participating in the olive harvest in support of the Palestinian population. We ask for her immediate release and that of all the other activists involved" are the words of Roberto Centi, group leader in the LeAli municipal council in Spezia/Alleanza Verdi e Sinistra. "In the Palestinian tragedy, which not only concerns the Gaza Strip but also the West Bank, Giorgia stood out from the first moment for her sensitivity, courage and concrete commitment to defending a persecuted people, whose fundamental rights are systematically violated in defiance of international law and the most elementary principles of humanity. Her presence in Palestine testifies to a choice of authentic solidarity, consistent with the values that she has always carried forward also in her political and institutional activity in La Spezia. We ask the Italian government and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to intervene with the utmost urgency, through all diplomatic channels, to guarantee the safety of Giorgia and the other citizens involved and obtain their immediate release. Peaceful solidarity cannot be considered a crime and the defense of human rights cannot be repressed" he concludes, expressing solidarity with the family.
"The news of the arrest by the Israeli authorities of 14 international volunteers in the West Bank, including the La Spezia municipal councilor Giorgia Lombardi, represents yet another violation of the most basic civil rights by the Netanyahu administration. These are foreign citizens who were simply helping Palestinians, attacked by Israeli settlers, in the olive harvest. We expect a firm condemnation and a timely diplomatic initiative from Minister Tajani and the Meloni Government towards Italian citizens deprived of their passports and of their freedom, which cannot be limited to a hope that they can be freed as stated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The Prime Minister reiterates that Italy has demonstrated that since it has been led by her. Thus the former Minister of Justice and member of the Democratic Party, Andrea Orlando.
