(Adnkronos) – Italy’s government keeps up “frank and direct” dialogue with Israel and is not afraid to disagree with the Jewish state, foreign minister Antonio Tajani said Thursday, describing the war-razed Palestinian coastal enclave of Gaza as “an open wound” and “a humanitarian tragedy”.
‘The government’s stance towards Israel is very clear: we maintain a frank and direct dialogue, without ever shying away from expressing our positions,” Tajani told the Senate upper house of parliament.
“And and, when necessary, we convey our dissent,” Tajani said during question time.
Gaza is “an open wound, a humanitarian tragedy that has shaken all of our consciences,” Tajani underlined.
“Italy has from the outset been at the forefront of efforts in Gaza to save lives, alleviate the suffering of civilians and silence the guns,” Tajani said.
Israel’s war against Gaza’s ruling Hamas began in October 2023 after the Islamist group’s cross-border attacks in which 1,200 people were killed and around 250 taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies. A fragile US-brokered ceasefire came into effect in Gaza last October but Israeli airstrikes have since killed over 765 people, on top of more than 72,000 Palestinians killed and thousands injured in the war, according to the Palestinian health ministry.
Commitments made under the Hamas-Israel truce have not been fulfilled including improved entry of aid and regular opening of key border crossings, field data and reports from international organisations show.
