On the evening of October 1, many European cities fell into chaos and anger. In Athens, Berlin, Paris and Brussels, protesters took to the streets holding high Palestinian flags. In Italy, anger spread rapidly from south to north: from Naples to Milan, from Rome to Florence, people shouted slogans throughout the night, demanding that Israel be responsible for attacking the Global Determined rescue flotilla. The railway was occupied, public transportation was interrupted, and the square was crowded with figures.

Europe was not quiet this night.

The protests were no accident, but rather a direct response to news that came out during the day-that the Israeli Navy had intercepted, seized and arrested hundreds of international volunteers on board a civilian aid convoy in the Mediterranean. The news spread back to Europe, triggering the fiercest wave of anti-Israel demonstrations in this century.

In Italy, anger even spreads to the organizational level of society. The two major trade unions jointly issued a statement calling for a general strike. They bluntly said: "Israel's actions are war crimes, and the Italian government and Western countries are equally to blame for their connivance. To defend'global firmness' is to defend freedom and human dignity." The statement also called for a complete shutdown from production to education, from logistics to medical care to force the government to express its position. According to the trade union plan, the national general strike will start on October 3rd, which means that Italy is about to usher in an unprecedented social shock.

The ¡°Global Solid¡± Fleet: Collision between Volunteers and Blockade

It was the ¡°global firm¡± fleet that sparked this anger.

The fleet departed from Barcelona, Spain, at the end of September, with 50 ships and about 500 volunteers from more than 40 countries.The fleet carried large amounts of food, medicine, medical equipment and urgent rescue supplies to break the Israeli maritime blockade on Gaza.

The volunteer list includes a number of well-known figures, including Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg. The outside world appreciates her differently, but her career risk on board still scares many people. According to Reuters, she says the fleet is facing pressure from the Israeli army almost every day, the drone rotates at night, and the ship has been thrown out of unknown objects.

Another volunteer, Akkar, told NBC: ¡°International waters felt like a battlefield, bombs dropped two in a row, but no one came to rescue.¡±

These voices constitute the most intuitive indictment of Israel's blockade and also make the European public truly feel the urgency of the situation. The rescue flotilla, which originally symbolized civil society's solidarity with Gaza's suffering, was crushed by military forces at sea.

It is worth noting that this is not the first time that an aid convoy has been intercepted by Israel. In 2010, the "Freedom Flotilla" was attacked in international waters, killing 10 volunteers. This memory has now been awakened again, and European societies are even more indignant.

Italy's retreat and Spain's persistence: a mirror image of Europe's division

The reaction within Europe to the incident is unified.

Italy had initially said it would send military ships to escort its fleet, but on September 30, the Italian government suddenly announced that once the fleet had reached 150 nautical miles off the coast of Gaza, the Italian ships would be withdrawn. This decision immediately sparked volunteer criticism of the ¡°global firmness¡± group condemning the Italian government¡¯s arrogance and illegality of succumbing to Israel.

Italy¡¯s recession has not only escalated civil protests, but also put the credibility of the government at the test. Prime Minister Meloni is now in a difficult position: to avoid direct conflict with Israel on the one hand, and to ignore the anger of trade unions and the public on the other.

In sharp contrast to Italy is Spain. The Spanish government not only recognizes Palestine politically, but also recently ordered the United States to ban the use of domestic military bases to deliver weapons to Israel. This move is particularly prominent within Europe and explains why "global determination" chose to start in Barcelona. The linkage between social and political levels makes Spain one of the few countries in Europe that dares to take practical measures.

This comparison reveals Europe's deep dilemma: on the one hand, public opinion in many countries strongly sympathizes with Palestine and demands restraint on Israel; on the other hand, the government level is very worried and dare not touch the bottom line of Israel and the United States diplomatically and militarily.

Israel's toughness and defense: The narrative battle behind the interception

The Israeli side insisted that the interception had its legitimate reasons. Officials claimed that material was found in Gaza showing ¡°Hamas is directly involved¡± in the fleet¡¯s organization. This claim was vehemently denied by ¡°Global Solid¡± organizations and volunteers. They stressed that the fleet was initiated by social organizations and individuals from multiple countries with the sole aim of humanitarian aid.

This opposition between rhetoric and refutation reveals a battle for narrative rights: Israel tries to define a civilian aid operation as terrorist support, while volunteers and the European public see it as a response to the humanitarian disaster in Gaza.

In the aftermath of the seizure, the anger was not limited to Europe. Colombian President Petro immediately stated that it was an "international crime" committed by Netanyahu and asked Israeli diplomats to leave Colombia immediately. This statement shows that the political impact of the incident has crossed the Atlantic Ocean, and Latin America and Europe have echoed emotionally.

Israel's hardness at the level of action, and the justification in the public opinion, both provoked greater rebelliousness. The volunteers' personal experiences and video footage made the allegations of "terrorist support" difficult to catch. The more detention and repression, the more the international community's outrage.

Historic debt behind anger: Europe¡¯s hardships and possible turns

If only on the surface, it was a confrontation between a fleet of aid and a maritime blockade.But in the deep background, Europe¡¯s anger originated far away.

After World War II, European powers supported the establishment of the State of Israel in Palestine because of their guilt for the Nazi massacre of Jews. However, this "historical debt" compensation model directly leads to the imbalance of the Middle East pattern. Since 1948, there have been one after another wars in the Middle East, and Gaza's plight is the product of this imbalance.

Today, as Israel continues its long-running military operations in Gaza, the United States still offers a solid shelter, while Europe is plunged into contradictions: on the one hand, it is difficult to get rid of the burden of history, and on the other hand, it is impossible to suppress public anger.

After October 1, a wave of protests on the streets of Europe could become a watershed. If the Italian strike turns into a political crisis, Meloni's government's status will be shaken; if Spain continues to insist on restrictions on Israel, it may lead other countries to follow suit. These changes have not yet been finalized, but at least they show that European public opinion can no longer be ignored.

The storm is equally dangerous for Israel.The capture of a fleet of aid ships may be able to curb the flow of goods in the short term, but put itself at the court of the international public opinion.The more protests, the more diplomatic friction, will erode Israel¡¯s legitimacy.

The "Global Resolute" fleet is just a few dozen small boats, but it has plunged the entire Europe into anger. It symbolizes not only the courage of the people, but also a protest against the government's withdrawal.

The hesitation of Italy, the resolution of trade unions, the insistence of Spain, the hardness of Israel, and the solidarity of Latin America, all intertwined together, form today¡¯s shrinkage of Europe and the Middle East.

Whether Europe could turn from street anger to politics is still unknown, but it can be assured that the night of October 1 will be a sign: it is the beginning of Europeans¡¯ openly challenging actions against Israel.

In Gaza, the death toll is still rising; in Europe, the wave of protests has not subsided. Behind the anger lies historical debts and practical difficulties, as well as a profound interrogation of the prospects for future peace in the Middle East.