Unveiling Italy's Industrial Involvement in Israeli Occupation
Recent investigations conducted by Italian civil and journalistic entities have brought to light the extensive connections between industrial links in Italy's Bergamo region and the Israeli military occupation, revealing alarming evidence of Italian-made equipment being utilized in the demolition of Palestinian structures, confiscation of properties, and the establishment of military barriers and gates in the occupied West Bank. This situation raises critical questions about the responsibilities of companies regarding the final destinations of their products and the fine line separating civilian from military use. These investigations encompass companies specializing in the manufacturing of cranes, industrial mixers, and aviation components, highlighting a broader network of commercial and research relationships between Bergamo and Israel. In response to these findings, student groups, labor unions, and human rights organizations have begun to call for a review of exports and institutional relations with the implicated companies.
Philippe Michitch, a researcher and student leader at the University of Bergamo, revealed in exclusive statements to "Al-Arabi Al-Jadid" that his team's database documents 49 instances where cranes manufactured by the Italian company Fassi were utilized in demolishing Palestinian facilities or constructing gates and barriers used for the segregation and control of Palestinian movement. Michitch, who is also a contributor and analyst for the first report issued by the Bergamo Youth Coordination, noted that only 17 case studies were published in the initial report, with further research uncovering additional incidents, including those that occurred in 2025 and 2026. One significant case cited involved the demolition of a school in Khirbet Khallat al-Dab’a on July 14, 2018, which resulted in harm to 20 Palestinian students. He emphasized that the only viable solution to counter the concerns surrounding Italian supplies complicity in these violations is a comprehensive boycott of Israel, given that even cranes are being used in practices that violate international law. Michitch criticized the silence of Italian institutions, asserting that the University of Bergamo, which has agreements with Fassi, has yet to declare its stance and continues to delay addressing the memorandum submitted by activists demanding accountability.
Cases of Equipment Misuse and International Responsibility
The situation escalated with the publication of a report by the Bergamo Youth Coordination in April, titled "The Systematic Complicity of Fassi Group in Ethnic Cleansing in the Occupied Territories," which documented the use of a Fassi crane on July 5, 2017, to confiscate solar panels from a Palestinian family in Khirbet Tal al-Hammeh in the northern Jordan Valley. These panels, provided by a non-governmental organization months earlier, were the family's primary source of electricity. Palestinian Zahra Ayoub recounted how her family was left without electricity or running water, forcing them to buy water from nearby tankers. The report indicated that the use of Fassi equipment in the confiscation of Palestinian solar panels had been previously documented by the organization "Who Profits," before the Bergamo Youth Coordination reopened the file and compiled a more extensive database of incidents.
The database relies on photos, video footage, field testimonies, and information published by various organizations, including B'Tselem, Who Profits, Corporate Occupation, and Shul Collective. The published report documented the presence of Fassi cranes in at least 17 incidents between 2017 and 2022 during demolition or confiscation operations in the West Bank. The number 366 does not represent the frequency of crane appearances but rather the number of facilities and properties involved in the documented incidents, which include homes, agricultural facilities, solar panels, water tanks, and containers.
The documented occurrences reveal the diverse applications of Italian equipment in occupation operations. In July 2018, a Fassi EF 800 A crane was noted during the confiscation of two containers that had been serving as a primary school in the hills of Hebron. Investigations in June 2019 recorded the use of a crane from the company in demolishing tents belonging to Bedouin families, and the year 2020 saw a significant increase in the number of affected facilities, with the report accounting for the demolition of 75 facilities and the displacement of 463 Palestinians, including 67 individuals forced to leave their homes. In one incident, a Fassi crane was employed to remove construction materials and solar panels provided by a non-governmental organization funded by the European Union. The year 2021 emerged as one of the most intense periods for such activities, with cranes appearing in 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, resulting in the displacement of 74 Palestinians, nearly half of whom were children. The confiscated water tanks were observed loaded onto vehicles equipped with cranes. Another incident in March of the same year documented the use of a Fassi crane in confiscating water tanks from Palestinian families.
The investigations have documented not only historical cases but also recent instances, with Italian journalist Stefano Nani identifying five additional occurrences over the past two years. On July 14, 2026, a Fassi crane manufactured in Albino, Bergamo, appeared alongside Israeli forces and settlers while placing concrete blocks to restrict access to the Al-Tireh 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 village of Tawani. Furthermore, in May 2026, Israeli authorities utilized a crane base produced by Fassi and a mechanical arm from "Fratelli Ferrari" in operations near the historic building of the Hebron municipality. The investigations even highlighted the use of a Fassi crane in December 2025 during the dismantling of a prefabricated building in the town of Samu' near Hebron, as part of a broader operation involving the confiscation of 42 commercial facilities.
This collection of incidents raises critical questions regarding the accountability of civilian companies for the ultimate use of their equipment. Riccardo Nuri, a spokesperson for Amnesty International in Italy, emphasized to "AltriEconomia" that Italian companies are obligated to ensure that their products are not involved in the illegal Israeli occupation or in violations of international law, similar to companies operating in military industries and dual-use materials. Human Rights Watch reiterated that due diligence measures should unveil the risks of corporate complicity in violations, enabling companies to take steps to prevent their products from being used in such a manner. Neither Fassi nor Fratelli Ferrari responded to interview requests and comments from "AltriEconomia." Conversely, the Italian Christian Workers’ Association branch in Albino rejected the accusations against the company and its employees, arguing that using a civilian product in committing violations does not necessarily implicate the manufacturer in wrongdoing, while demanding evidence for the allegations made against them.
Moreover, the industrial links revealed by the investigations extend beyond Fassi, with another report indicating that the Bergamo-based company Batagion supplied Israel with industrial mixers used in the production of explosives over the past three years, amounting to nearly six million euros. The company manufactures mixing and blending machines used across various sectors, including military industries. According to data from the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Arms Licensing Unit, independent researcher Michele Crimaski noted that "Batagion was among the companies that recorded the largest increase in the value of new export licenses to Israel since 2022."
The Italian government recently revoked a license to export a mixer produced by the company, which is used in gunpowder manufacturing, valued at 397,000 euros, a move that researchers described as limited, yet indicative of the potential for reviewing licenses associated with military use. Student and human rights groups have organized protests outside Fassi facilities, while a local campaign has called for halting Batagion's military exports to Israel.
Lastly, the investigations have also implicated Lameflex, a company based in Pontenossa, Bergamo, owned entirely by the Itma Group, in the production of military aircraft components. The report published by the coordination on April 30 indicated that the company produces composite materials used in manufacturing military aircraft and helicopters and supplies Leonardo with a material utilized in AW119 helicopters. Since January 2024, Leonardo's U.S. branch has begun exporting these helicopters to Israel under a contract worth $29 million between Tel Aviv and Washington. The investigation connects a local production chain in Bergamo to a weapons system whose products ultimately reach the Israeli army. Data from the Lombardy Chamber of Commerce cited in the investigations revealed that trade between the Bergamo region and Israel reached 126 million euros in 2025, reflecting the ongoing commercial relations between the two parties.
As reported by alaraby.co.uk.