Italy’s foreign minister has said that his Israeli counterpart assured him the Israeli armed forces would not use violence against activists on board the flotilla of ships sailing towards Gaza, Reuters reports.

“The boarding was planned, we are talking about it … with Minister Saar so that there would be no violent actions on the part of the Tel Aviv armed forces, and this has been assured to me,” Antonio Tajani said to Italian TV broadcaster Rai.

“We instructed our embassy in Tel Aviv and the consulate in Jerusalem to assist all Italians who will probably be taken to Ashdod, but then will be expelled,” he added.