French and Italian dockworkers refuse to load shipment of weapons destined for Israel, stating they will not be complicit in the “ongoing genocide” in Gaza.
Investigative outlets from France and Ireland, Disclose and The Ditch, revealed on June 4 that a cargo vessel, the ZIM Contship Era, was scheduled to pass through Marseille’s Fos-sur-Mer port to secretly load 14 tonnes of military equipment produced by the French company Eurolinks.
It was intended to arrive at the ports of Genoa and Salerno in Italy before proceeding to Haifa in occupied Palestine.
It marks the third such shipment from Marseille to Israel in 2025, following similar transfers on April 3 and May 22, both involving military supplies used to prolong the extant genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza.
In a statement issued on June 2, the General Confederation of Labor (CGT) union, representing port workers in the Gulf of Fos, declared, “The port of Marseille-Fos must not be used to supply the Israeli army.”
“The dockworkers and port staff will not take part in the ongoing genocide. We stand for peace among peoples and oppose all wars that bring death, misery, and displacement.”
The equipment, including Eurolink belts used in IWI Negev machine guns, was allegedly destined for Israel Military Industries, a subsidiary of Elbit Systems, one of the regime’s largest arms manufacturers.
The action taken by French port workers inspired solidarity in Italy.
The Genoa Port Workers’ Collective (CALP) announced plans to block the ZIM Contship Era from docking when it arrives in Genoa.
“We oppose all wars and refuse to be complicit in the genocide in Gaza,” CALP stated.
Additionally, they have called for a general strike on June 20 under the slogan “Disarmiamoli” (“Disarm them”), targeting what they describe as the increasing militarization of European ports and complicity in arms transfers.
Demonstrations are planned in Genoa and Rome on June 21 to protest rising military spending and its social costs.
Previous investigations reveal France approved the delivery of at least 100,000 rifle parts to Israel in late 2023.
In June 2024, investigative journalists published classified documents showing that France had authorized drone-related exports produced by Thales, which were used in strikes in Gaza.
Between 2018 and 2023, France sold electronic components and communication systems worth €2 million for Israeli drones.
France has also sent military shipments to Saudi Arabia, implicated in crimes against humanity in Yemen.
