Italian Industrial Links to Israeli Occupation Exposed
Recent investigative reports from Italian journalism and civil organizations have unveiled troubling connections between industrial networks in Italy, specifically from the northern province of Bergamo, and the Israeli military occupation apparatus. Evidence has emerged that Italian-made equipment is being utilized for the demolition of Palestinian structures, the confiscation of property, and the establishment of military checkpoints and barriers in the occupied West Bank. These connections extend beyond the mere export of civilian equipment, as components produced by companies in Bergamo have found their way into the manufacturing chains of military helicopters sent to Israel. Furthermore, another company has exported industrial mixers used in the production of explosives, raising critical questions about corporate responsibility regarding the end-use of their products and the boundaries separating civilian and military applications.
Documented Incidents of Equipment Use
The investigations involve companies specializing in manufacturing cranes, industrial mixers, and aviation components, all part of a larger web of commercial and research relationships between Bergamo and Israel. This data has led student groups, labor unions, and human rights organizations to demand a review of exports and institutional relations with the implicated companies. Philippe Mishich, a researcher and student leader at the University of Bergamo, revealed in an exclusive statement that his team's database comprises 49 instances of Italian company Vasi's cranes being utilized to demolish Palestinian facilities or to create barriers controlling the movement of Palestinians. Initially, only 17 cases were published, but ongoing research has uncovered additional instances, including events that occurred in 2025 and 2026. Notably, one significant incident involved the demolition of a school in Khirbat Khallat al-Dab'a, which resulted in harm to 20 Palestinian students, according to the database.
Mishich emphasized that the only solution to address concerns about the complicity of Italian supplies in these violations is a comprehensive boycott of Israel, as even cranes are employed in practices that violate international law. He criticized the silence of Italian institutions, stating that the University of Bergamo, which has agreements with Vasi, has yet to declare its position and continues to delay a decision on the memorandum submitted by his group. Mishich called on Vasi to disclose its commercial dealings with Israel, cease these relationships, and provide compensation to Palestinians affected by operations involving its equipment.
The issue first emerged in an April report titled "The Systematic Complicity of Vasi Group in Ethnic Cleansing in the Occupied Territories," documenting the use of a crane from the company to confiscate solar panels from a Palestinian family in Khirbat Tal al-Hamma on July 5, 2017. These panels, provided by an NGO months earlier, were the family's primary source of electricity. Investigations cited Palestinian Zahra Ayoub expressing that her family now lives without electricity or running water, forcing them to purchase water from nearby tanks. Previous documentation by "Who Profits" confirmed the use of Vasi equipment in confiscating Palestinian solar panels, prompting the Bergamo Youth Coordination to reopen the file and compile incidents into an expanded database.
This database relies on images, videos, field testimonies, and information published by various organizations, including B'Tselem, Who Profits, Corporate Occupation, and Shul Collective. The published file documented at least 17 instances between 2017 and 2022 where Vasi cranes were involved in demolition or confiscation operations in the West Bank. The figure 366 does not represent the number of times the cranes appeared but rather the number of properties and assets included in the documented incidents, which encompass homes, agricultural facilities, solar panels, water tanks, and containers.
The documented incidents reveal the multifaceted use of Italian equipment in occupation operations. In July 2018, a Vasi EF 800 A crane was recorded during the confiscation of two containers that were used as a primary school in the Hebron hills. In June 2019, investigations noted the use of a crane from the company to demolish tents belonging to Bedouin families, while the year 2020 saw a significant increase in the number of affected facilities, with 75 demolitions recorded that year, impacting 463 Palestinians, including 67 who were forced to flee. In one instance, a Vasi crane was utilized to remove construction materials and solar panels provided by an NGO funded by the European Union. The year 2021 was particularly intensive according to the investigation.
In Khirbat Humsa al-Fawqa, Vasi cranes appeared during a series of repeated demolitions targeting homes, stables, agricultural facilities, and health facilities. On February 22, 2021, Israeli forces demolished 12 homes and 20 agricultural facilities, displacing 74 Palestinians, nearly half of whom were children, while confiscated water tanks were loaded onto vehicles equipped with cranes. Another incident in March of that same year documented the use of a Vasi crane in seizing water tanks from Palestinian families.
The documentation of Italian equipment use is not limited to past cases; Italian journalist Stefano Nani identified five additional incidents over the past two years. On July 14, 2026, a Vasi crane, manufactured in Albinea, Bergamo, was observed alongside Israeli forces and settlers placing concrete blocks to restrict access to the al-Tira neighborhood in Ramallah. In September 2025, a crane from the company was used to install a yellow iron gate controlled by the Israeli army at the entrance of the al-Tuwani village. Additionally, Israeli authorities employed a Vasi crane base and a mechanical arm from Fratelli Ferrari in operations near the historic building of the Hebron municipality in May 2026.
Vasi cranes also appeared in December 2025 during the dismantling of a prefab building in the town of Samu' near Hebron, part of a broader operation involving the confiscation of 42 commercial properties, as reported by the investigations. These incidents raise essential questions about the responsibility of civilian companies for the final use of their equipment. According to Ricardo Nuri, spokesperson for Amnesty International in Italy, Italian companies are required to ensure that their products do not contribute to illegal Israeli occupation or violations of international law, similar to companies operating in military industries and dual-use materials. Human Rights Watch has emphasized that due diligence measures should reveal the risks of companies contributing to violations, allowing them to take steps to prevent their products from being used in such a manner. Neither Vasi nor Fratelli Ferrari responded to requests for interviews and comments from AltrEconomia. Conversely, the Italian Christian Workers’ Association branch in Albinea rejected accusations against the company and its employees of complicity, arguing that using a civilian product in perpetrating violations does not necessarily make the manufacturer liable, demanding evidence to substantiate the allegations.
The industrial links revealed by these investigations are not limited to Vasi; another report indicated that Batagion, based in Bergamo, has supplied Israel with industrial mixers used in the production of explosives over the past three years, totaling approximately six million euros. The company manufactures mixing and blending machines utilized in various sectors, including military industries. According to data from the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs' arms licensing unit, independent researcher Michele Crimaski stated that Batagion was among the companies that recorded the most significant increase in the value of new export licenses to Israel since 2022.
The Italian government canceled a license for exporting a mixer produced by the company used in gunpowder manufacturing, valued at 397,000 euros, a move researchers described as limited but indicative of the potential for reviewing licenses associated with military use. Student and rights groups have organized protests outside Vasi facilities, while a local campaign has called for halting military exports from Batagion to Israel.
Furthermore, Lamiflex, based in the town of Ponte Nossa in Bergamo and wholly owned by the Itma Group, has entered the investigations due to its involvement in military aviation components. A report published by the coordination on April 30 noted that the company produces composite materials used in the manufacturing of military aircraft and helicopters, supplying Leonardo with a substance utilized in the AW119 helicopters. Since January 2024, the U.S. branch of Leonardo has begun exporting these helicopters to Israel, under a contract valued at $29 million between Tel Aviv and Washington. The investigation links local production chains in Bergamo to a weapons system whose products ultimately reach the Israeli military. Data from the Lombardy Chamber of Commerce outlined in the investigations revealed that trade between the Bergamo province and Israel amounted to 126 million euros in 2025, reflecting the ongoing commercial relations.
As reported by alaraby.co.uk.