Italy urges Israel to stop offensive in Gaza, respect humanitarian law
ROME, May 28 (Reuters) - Israel's continued assault on the Gaza Strip has become unacceptable and must stop immediately, Italy's foreign minister said on Wednesday, warning against any move to forcibly displace Palestinians from the enclave.
Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani spoke to parliament about the situation in Gaza amid mounting Western criticism of Israel, which invaded the Palestinian territory after the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas on its southern communities.
"The legitimate reaction of the Israeli government to a terrible and senseless act of terrorism is unfortunately taking absolutely dramatic and unacceptable forms, which we call on Israel to stop immediately," Tajani told parliament.
Italy has been a vocal supporter of Israel but there has been growing unease within the right-wing coalition government over the relentless and long-running military campaign.
In all, more than 54,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's air and ground war, Gaza health authorities say.
"The bombing must end, humanitarian assistance must resume as soon as possible, respect for international humanitarian law must be restored," Tajani told a heated debate in the lower house of parliament.
On Gaza, the government has come under attack from the opposition parties which have announced a demonstration in Rome on June 7, demanding sanctions against Israel and that Italy formally recognises the State of Palestine.
"The levels of political, moral and intellectual squalor that all of you, Italian and European ruling classes, are reaching, will condemn you as those who are complicit in extermination, genocide and inhuman crime," said Riccardo Ricciardi, a lawmaker from the 5-Star Movement.
Tajani said a Palestinian state could still be created following negotiations involving Israel, and Italy wanted to keep a dialogue open with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government.
But he reiterated that Italy was against displacing Palestinians from Gaza, an option U.S. President Donald Trump proposed earlier this year and which was swiftly rejected by Arab countries.
"The expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza is not and will never be an acceptable option," Tajani said.
He reiterated that Italy might be prepared to take part in an eventual Arab-led peacekeeping mission in Gaza.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Dawn French sparks backlash after filming peculiar video about October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel
Dawn French has sparked a ferocious backlash after describing the October 7 attacks unleashed by Hamas terrorists on Israel as 'a bad thing' during a bizarre social media rant. The Vicar of Dibley star, 67, posted to X discussing her thoughts on the 'nuanced' situation in Israel and Gaza. Adopting a baby-like voice, French appeared to belittle supporters of Israel's actions amid the ongoing war against Hamas. During the 40-second video, the actress can be heard saying: 'Complicated, no, but nuanced. But [the] bottom line is no,' inferring that Israel should cease its military campaign. The British comedian then adopted more infantile tones as she gave an impression of those with opposing views to her own. 'Yeah, but you know they did a bad thing to we want that we have history… Those people aren't really even people, are they?' she can be heard saying in a whining manner. At the end of each statement French returns to her natural voice and emphatically says 'No'. Critics have seized upon the video, which has racked up 4.7million views since it was first posted on Thursday, and accused French of 'mocking' the events of October 7. Actress and playwright Tracy-Ann Oberman, who is Jewish, said she was 'saddened' by the post. 'This mocking voice 'bad thing' of October 7 that Dawn (who I revere by the way) appears to be mocking involved the most horrific terrorist attack involving rape, sexual violence, burning alive child, mutilation and the taking of civilian hostages. 'Why would Dawn seem to deny that which has affected so many of us personally in the most painful way possible. 'I can mourn the horrors of the war in Gaza whilst also remembering the horrors of what started it. 'Is this how most of our industry feels now – Oct 7 was a 'little thing'? NO!' Former MP and author Louise Mensch accused French of having a 'chuckle and chunter'. She said: 'A 'bad thing'? Rapes, murders, torture, strangled a couple of infants, etc etc, so let's have a good chuckle and chunter, shall we Dawn? 'But the saddest thing about this post is not its casual cruelty, but that you think you're a progressive. You're not.' Former MP and author Louise Mensch accused French of having a 'chuckle and chunter' Meanwhile comedy screenwriter and activist Lee Kern said French had 'sneeringly mocked' the October 7 massacre. He wrote: 'I imagine you think you are moral and righteous and taking a stand against pain and suffering. 'But not only do you remain intellectually incurious about who the architect of all this suffering is, (Hamas), not only do you fail to say NO to them in front of your audience and condemn them for their retention of the hostages, use of human shields, fighting from hospitals, schools and civilian proactively broadcast - with misplaced pride - a wicked glee in your mockery and dismissal of Jewish suffering, pain and death...' French later responded to Oberman's post to emphasise she did not 'support the atrocities of Oct 7th.' She wrote: 'I do not say 'a little thing'. In NO WAY do I support the atrocities of Oct 7th. Of course not. Appalling. Horrific. 'But starving innocent children is not the answer. NO is the answer to ALL of it Tracy.' Israel has been waging a military campaign in Gaza since Hamas' brutal massacre on October 7, 2023, in which 1,200 people were murdered and 251 taken hostage. At least 20 of the remaining 56 hostages still held by Hamas are thought to be alive. According to official Hamas figures, at least 54,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the start of the war. The Israeli military issued an evacuation order on Friday for residents of parts of Gaza City ahead of an attack that 'will strike all areas from which rockets are launched'. Israel has recently stepped up its campaign in Gaza in what it says is a renewed push to defeat Hamas amid growing international calls for a negotiated ceasefire.
Reuters
4 hours ago
- Reuters
Exclusive: US mulls giving millions to controversial Gaza aid foundation, sources say
WASHINGTON, June 6 (Reuters) - The State Department is weighing giving $500 million to the new foundation providing aid to war-shattered Gaza, according to two knowledgeable sources and two former U.S. officials, a move that would involve the U.S. more deeply in a controversial aid effort that has been beset by violence and chaos. The sources and former U.S. officials, all of whom requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, said that money for Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) would come from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which is being folded into the U.S. State Department. The plan has met resistance from some U.S. officials concerned with the deadly shootings of Palestinians near aid distribution sites and the competence of the GHF, the two sources said. The GHF, which has been fiercely criticized by humanitarian organizations, including the United Nations, for an alleged lack of neutrality, began distributing aid last week amid warnings that most of Gaza's 2.3 million population is at risk of famine after an 11-week Israeli aid blockade, which was lifted on May 19 when limited deliveries were allowed to resume. The foundation has seen senior personnel quit and had to pause handouts twice this week after crowds overwhelmed its distribution hubs. The State Department and GHF did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Reuters has been unable to establish who is currently funding the GHF operations, which began in Gaza last week. The GHF uses private U.S. security and logistics companies to transport aid into Gaza for distribution at so-called secure distribution sites. On Thursday, Reuters reported that a Chicago-based private equity firm, McNally Capital, has an "economic interest" in the for-profit U.S. contractor overseeing the logistics and security of GHF's aid distribution hubs in the enclave. While U.S. President Donald Trump's administration and Israel say they don't finance the GHF operation, both have been pressing the United Nations and international aid groups to work with it. The U.S. and Israel argue that aid distributed by a long-established U.N. aid network was diverted to Hamas. Hamas has denied that. USAID has been all but dismantled. Some 80 percent of its programs have been canceled and its staff face termination as part of President Donald Trump's drive to align U.S. foreign policy with his "America First" agenda. One source with knowledge of the matter and one former senior official said the proposal to give the $500 million to GHF has been championed by acting deputy USAID Administrator Ken Jackson, who has helped oversee the agency's dismemberment. The source said that Israel requested the funds to underwrite GHF's operations for 180 days. The Israeli government did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The two sources said that some U.S. officials have concerns with the plan because of the overcrowding that has affected the aid distribution hubs run by GHF's contractor, and violence nearby. Those officials also want well-established non-governmental organizations experienced in running aid operations in Gaza and elsewhere to be involved in the operation if the State Department approves the funds for GHF, a position that Israel likely will oppose, the sources said. Gaza hospital officials have said more than 80 people had been shot dead and hundreds wounded near GHF's distribution points between June 1-3. Since launching its operation, the GHF has opened three hubs, but over the past two days, only two of them have been functioning. Witnesses blamed Israeli soldiers for the killings. The Israeli military said it fired warning shots on two days, while on Tuesday it said soldiers had fired at Palestinian "suspects" advancing towards their positions.
Daily Mail
7 hours ago
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS FBI issues urgent warning about 'elevated threat' to Jewish communities following Colorado attack
Security officials have issued an urgent warning about the 'elevated threat' to Jewish communities nationwide following two recent antisemitic attacks. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released the public service announcement, warning people to stay vigilant as the ongoing violence in Gaza may 'motivate' further attacks. Officials cited two recent threats at the basis for the warning: the May shooting at the Capitol Jewish Museum in Washington DC, and the recent terror attack in Boulder, Colorado. 'The ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict may motivate other violent extremists and hate crime perpetrators with similar grievances to conduct violence against Jewish and Israeli communities and their supporters,' the release stated. 'Foreign terrorist organizations also may try to exploit narratives related to the conflict to inspire attacks in the United States. 'The FBI and DHS therefore urge the public to remain vigilant and to report any threats of violence or suspicious activity to law enforcement.' The warning comes after 12 people were injured in Boulder during a vigil for the Jewish hostages still held captive by Hamas in Gaza. The group was carrying out a weekly silent walk in solidarity with the hostages as it has done ever since the October 7 attack. But the peaceful protest quickly descended into chaos when 45-year-old Mohamed Soliman allegedly launched a violent attack on a group of about 30 demonstrators, using a flamethrower and Molotov cocktails to set eight victims on fire. The attack left twelve people injured, among them an 88-year-old Holocaust survivor. Soliman's wife and five children were taken into custody by agents with ICE and Homeland Security just two days later. Soliman arrived in the United States from Egypt in August 2022, but overstayed his initial tourist visa and was ultimately handed a two-year work permit by the Biden administration, which he also overstayed, as reported by Fox News. The family was expected to be processed for expedited removal, which would allow authorities to rapidly deport them without a hearing in an immigration court. Authorities said they found 16 unused Molotov cocktails when they arrested Soliman, adding that he only threw two of the devices because 'he was scared and had never hurt anyone before'. Agents also recovered a journal from Soliman's home in which he detailed his plans for the attack, and said he wanted to 'kill all Zionists', according to an affidavit on his arrest. The document also revealed that Soliman plotted the firebombing for over a year, but waited until after his daughter's graduation to conduct the attack. He is now facing 16 counts of attempted murder and federal hate crime charges. The Colorado attack came just over a week after a man was arrested over the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington, DC, on May 22. The victims were identified as German-Israeli dual national Yaron Lischinsky, 30, and his girlfriend Sarah Milgrim, 26. The suspect, identified as 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez, repeatedly shouted 'Free Palestine' after shooting them dead - all while police dragged him away. The couple, who were set to get engaged just a week from their deaths, had attended a Young Diplomats event before they were shot that night. In the moments before the deadly shooting, Rodriguez was reportedly seen pacing back and forth before allegedly opening fire on a group of four people standing outside the museum. Jewish human rights organization the Simon Wiesenthal Center told Daily Mail the Boulder attack came on the first day of a religious holiday. He blamed the attack, as well as the murders of the Israeli embassy staffers, on 'months of anti-Israel propaganda, moral equivocation, and silence in the face of raging antisemitism'. 'The nonstop demonization of Israel and Zionism on our campuses, in our streets, and across digital platforms has created a climate where hate flourishes, and physical attacks—even murder—of Jews is inevitable,' Berk said. Rodriguez had reportedly entered the building and was offered both water and comfort by attendees, who assumed he was a victim of the shooting. According to a witness, after spending about 15 minutes inside the museum in an apparent state of shock, he asked someone to call police and confessed. He was then taken into custody. Rodriguez was charged in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia with the murder of foreign officials, causing death through the use of a firearm, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, according to the United States Attorney's Office.
