(Adnkronos) – Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani on Tuesday floated the idea of an international conference on the reconstruction of war-battered Gaza, Lebanon and areas of northern Israel that have come under attack amid the escalating Middle East conflict.
“We should also think about holding a conference – like the one for the reconstruction of Ukraine – for Gaza, for Lebanon,” Tajani said in opening remarks at a G7 development ministers conference in Pescara.
“Also for those parts of northern Israel that have been affected,” Tajani said.
The goal must be “to try and give concrete answers,” he stated.
“Italy has already given such answers through the Food for Gaza project,” said Tajani, referring to a scheme coordinated by the Italian government with Rome-based United Nations agencies World Food Programme, the Food and Agriculture Organisation, as well as the Red Cross and the Red Crescent.
“We have delivered tens of tonnes of food and sanitary material to Gaza, which has already been distributed”, Tajani said.
The government has purchased 15 trucks which on Friday will leave from the port of Genoa, he said.
“We gave WFP the trucks, which will transport and distribute materials,” Tajani added.
Other goods will be sent through Jordan “thanks to the action of the Red Cross,” he went on.
On a visit to Israel on Monday during which he held talks with premier Benjamin Netanyahu and foreign minister Israel Katz, Tajani said he received assurances that the Italian trucks will be able to enter Gaza.
“So we will have a facilitated route for humanitarian aid coming from Italy. This is thanks to the diplomatic work we have done”, Tajani underlined.
