Hundreds of thousands of people across Italy staged a nationwide general strike on Friday after Israeli naval forces intercepted an international flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to the war-ravaged Gaza Strip. The strike, called by the CGIL and USB trade unions along with several smaller groups, disrupted both public and private sectors. Transport services were affected in major cities including Rome, Milan, Genoa, Catania and Naples. Health workers, civil servants, teachers, university staff and journalists, including staff from state broadcaster RAI, also joined the walkout. More than 200,000 people demonstrated in the Emilia-Romagna region "to protest against the blockade of the Global Sumud Flotilla and to call for an end to the genocide in Gaza and the erasure of the Palestinian people by the Netanyahu government," the regional branch of the CGIL union told Italy's main daily, La Repubblica. About 40 Italians were among those aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla, a convoy of some 50 civilian vessels carrying nearly 500 activists from over 40 countries. Israeli authorities said all those on board were detained and will be expelled and repatriated. Organizers said the flotilla sought to break Israel's naval blockade of Gaza and deliver food and medical supplies to civilians in the Palestinian enclave, where the United Nations has confirmed famine conditions after two years of the conflict between Hamas and Israel. Shotlist: Rome, Italy - Oct 3, 2025: 1. Various of protesters chanting "free Palestine", waving Palestinian flags; 2. SOUNDBITE (Italian) Roman protester (name not given) (ending with shot 3): "In any country facing such a situation, we must take action. We cannot allow what is happening to the Palestinian people to be repeated. That country is now awash with blood, and the United States is backing Israel -- that much is obvious. History has always been this way. The encouraging thing is that people around the world are now protesting."; 3. Various of protesters waving Palestinian flags, holding board writing "stop the genocide"; 4. SOUNDBITE (Italian) Roman protester (name not given): "In Rome, we take to the streets every day of our own free will. We call on the Italian government, the United Nations, and the world to end this unbelievable tragedy. We are witnessing an unprecedented, ongoing genocide."; 5. Various of police. [Restriction - No access Chinese mainland]