AILSA CHANG, HOST:
Israel's interception of a flotilla of hundreds of activists, lawyers and politicians bringing aid to Gaza has been met with widespread international condemnation. There have been massive protests and diplomatic fallout in several countries. Meanwhile, Israel is pressing on with its ground operation against Hamas in Gaza, where it has ordered residents of the most populous city to leave, giving them one last chance, it says. Here to discuss all of this and more is NPR's Ruth Sherlock, who's in Rome. Hi, Ruth.
RUTH SHERLOCK, BYLINE: Hi.
CHANG: So let's start with this flotilla. I mean, we've seen camera footage of Israeli soldiers boarding the boats of activists and lawyers and politicians. What's the situation now?
SHERLOCK: Well, Israel's now intercepted most of those vessels, and it's likely going to deport those on board back to their home countries, so the activists haven't succeeded in that mission to break the naval blockade and deliver aid to Gaza. But, Ailsa, this is a PR nightmare for Israel. You know, stopping the flotilla has sparked all these protests all around the world. Here in Rome, where I am, something like 10,000 people came to the streets kind of spontaneously...
CHANG: Wow.
SHERLOCK: ...Last night in response. Yeah. And Italy's national unions have been calling for a big strike this week. And Israel's repeatedly said it considers the flotilla a Hamas-linked provocation with no permission to enter its waters, but many countries don't see it that way. Colombia has expelled all remaining Israeli diplomats over this. Turkey, Mexico, Ireland, Malaysia - these are just some of the countries that have condemned Israel's actions.
And, you know, this flotilla journey, it lasted weeks, and it was live streamed by the activists, and it's become this kind of vehicle that people have gotten behind to express the anger they feel at the scale of the death toll and suffering in Gaza.
CHANG: Yeah. And while this has been happening, an Israeli airstrike hit aid workers in Gaza, right? And now Israel, as we've mentioned, is saying that Palestinians have one last opportunity to leave Gaza City.
SHERLOCK: Yeah. So the charity Doctors Without Borders has told NPR that five of its staff were hit in an Israeli airstrike in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza. Four of those were badly wounded, and a fifth - an occupational therapist - was killed. The charity is saying they were on their way to work at a burns and trauma field hospital.
And as you say, you know, Israel's ground operation is now focused on taking Gaza City, the most populus city in Gaza. And the shelling has been so intense that aid groups have pulled out. You know, some of the last medical help has had to leave. About 400,000 Palestinians have fled the fighting. And Israel's defense minister has now said everyone there has to leave and that those who remain will be considered militants. But there are still hundreds of thousands of people there. Many are elderly, wounded or sick or don't have the resources to flee, and they fear that there's nowhere safe to go.
CHANG: Well, while all of that has been happening, President Trump made a 20-point proposal for ending the war. Where does that proposal stand now?
SHERLOCK: Well, everyone's waiting for a response from Hamas. I mean, the proposal asks Hamas to set free its hostages and Israel to release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. But to end the war, Hamas also has to give up power in Gaza and disarm. The proposal - it's been accepted by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but it's causing anger among far-right ministers in Israel important to his governing coalition, who don't want Palestinians to be allowed to remain in Gaza at all.
And as for Hamas, Qatar is trying to help mediate, and its prime minister told Al Jazeera that more discussion and negotiation is needed. But it's not at all clear that the Trump administration is open to any further negotiations, so we're going to have to see.
CHANG: That is NPR's Ruth Sherlock in Rome. Thank you, Ruth.
SHERLOCK: Thanks so much. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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