Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, in a statement on Tuesday, criticized Israel’s response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7th, calling the military actions in Gaza “disproportionate.”
Speaking on RAI radio, Tajani, representing Italy as the current holder of the rotating G7 presidency, acknowledged Israel’s right to defense but highlighted the excessive civilian casualties resulting from the operations.
Tajani condemned the initial “savage” attacks by Hamas but raised concerns over the high number of “victims who have nothing to do with Hamas” in the ongoing Israeli assault on Gaza.
He expressed disagreement with Francesca Albanese, the United Nations special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, over her remarks concerning the nature of the Hamas attacks, which the Italian minister found objectionable.
The Italian Foreign Minister also distanced himself from characterizations of the Israeli actions in Gaza as genocide, emphasizing instead the significant civilian toll the military offensive has incurred.
According to the Gaza health ministry, the offensive has led to over 28,000 deaths, predominantly among women and children, marking a stark escalation in the conflict initiated by the Hamas attack dubbed the al-Aqsa Flood operation, which killed approximately 1,160 people in Israel and took around 250 hostages.
The situation remains tense as diplomatic efforts to address the humanitarian crisis and the broader conflict continue, with Italy’s voice adding to the international calls for proportionality and protection of civilians in conflict zones.
