November 5, 2026, Occupied Palestine. Italian solidarity activist Donato Ferdori, 56, has returned to Italy after nearly a week in Israeli detention following his arrest on October 29 while accompanying Palestinian farmers during the olive harvest in al-Lubban al-Gharbi, northwest of Ramallah.
On November 4, Ferdori was transferred from Givon prison to Egypt through the Taba border crossing. According to the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Israeli authorities coordinated with their Egyptian counterparts to arrange his transfer to Cairo airport, from where he flew to Rome on November 5.
Egyptian personnel escorted Ferdori from the Taba border crossing to Cairo airport, continuing to exercise control over him. His phone remained confiscated throughout the journey, except for a brief period on Wednesday evening when he was allowed to send a single message to his sister, Chiara Ferdori, before it was taken away again. Ferdori arrived in Italy exhausted after several days in detention and the lengthy transfer through Egypt.
Before his transfer, Ferdori had reported repeated psychological abuse, humiliation and physical mistreatment during his detention. Speaking by telephone to Italian journalist Maria Cristina Fraddosio on November 3, he stated:
“I was subjected to continuous psychological abuse and some physical violence, fortunately not serious. I have no injuries. I was repeatedly pushed. They made me undress for no reason. They mocked me.”
Ferdori had refused immediate administrative deportation following his arrest, choosing instead to challenge his detention before a judge. However, a hearing held on November 1 took place without his lawyer, Alon Sapir, being notified, despite repeated attempts to contact the detention facility. Ferdori subsequently confirmed that he had appeared before the judge alone. Sapir described the proceedings as “a serious breach of Ferdori’s right to an attorney.”
One of the deported activists reported that the driver of the bus that took them to the police station told them: “We will fuck you up. You smell like shit” . At the police station, the detainees initially slept on the floor, without blankets or pillows and were denied food for about 14 hours. A police officer also sexually harassed one of the women who needed water, saying “I give you water if you fuck me.”
Ferdori was among 14 international solidarity activists detained by Israeli occupation forces on October 29 in al-Lubban al-Gharbi. The activists were accompanying Palestinian farmers during the olive harvest when armed settlers from the Avichai Farm outpost forced the group to leave their agricultural land and pursued them into the village. Israeli soldiers subsequently surrounded a house where the activists had taken shelter and detained all 14 on allegations of violating a closed military zone order, which had not been presented to them on the agricultural land.
The other 13 activists, including four Italian citizens, were deported earlier. Ferdori was the last of the group to remain in Israeli custody.
His detention follows a similar incident earlier in October, when four international solidarity activists were arrested while accompanying Palestinian farmers in Jamma’in, south of Nablus, and deported after being denied access to legal counsel before their immigration hearings.
Despite the detention and deportation of international volunteers, Palestinian communities across the West Bank continue to request international solidarity presence as they face escalating settler violence, land dispossession and forced displacement. The removal of international activists undermines the protective presence organised in response to these requests, at a time when Palestinian farmers and communities continue to face attacks and restrictions on access to their land.
As his sister Chiara Ferdori explained, recalling their first phone call after several days without contact:
“This morning i finally spoke with my brother. He called from prison. He was tired but in good spirit; he said they have been difficult days. He is certain he made the right choice by refusing the administrative deportation. He did it because he thinks that what is happening in the West Bank is unfair. He thinks public attention should be brought to this.”
Previous releases:
https://palsolidarity.org/2026/10/for-immediate-release-14-international-solidarity-activists-face-deportation-for-accompanying-palestinian-olive-harvester-in-al-lubban-al-gharbi/
https://palsolidarity.org/2026/10/update-for-immediate-release-italian-teacher-detained-at-givon-prison-after-refusing-deportation-following-mass-arrest-during-palestinian-olive-harvest/