Italy’s Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani, urged for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza on Thursday, calling on Israel to protect Palestinian civilians.
Tajani stated on the “X” platform that the tragic deaths in Gaza necessitate an immediate ceasefire to facilitate further humanitarian assistance, hostage release, and civilian protection. He strongly urged Israel to protect the population in Gaza and to ensure accuracy in assessing facts and responsibilities.
Italy has previously hesitated to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, similar to several Western countries. However, the situation changed after over 100 Palestinians were killed on Thursday in Gaza during a humanitarian aid distribution that turned chaotic. Hamas accused Israeli soldiers of opening fire on the crowd as Palestinians attempted to obtain food from trucks they had been waiting for.
Georgia Miloni, the Prime Minister, stated in a release, “It is necessary for Israel to shed light on these events and to determine responsibilities.” She added that the additional civilian casualties necessitate intensifying efforts immediately to create conditions for a ceasefire and hostage release.
The UN Security Council convened an emergency meeting behind closed doors following the announcement by the Gaza Health Ministry of the deaths of nearly 100 Palestinians during an aid distribution in the northern part of the territory. The emergency meeting was held at 21:15 GMT at the request of Algeria, according to a diplomatic source from Agence France-Presse.
