Italy calls for an “immediate” halt to Israeli attacks on Gaza.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on Saturday called on Israel to stop its military offensive on Gaza, stressing that Palestinian civilians should not pay the price of the war any longer.
Tajani said in a statement: “We must tell the Israeli government that enough is enough. We do not want to see the suffering of the Palestinian people anymore. Stop the attacks, establish a ceasefire, release the hostages.”
His comments came after the Israeli army announced that it was preparing to expand its operations in the Gaza Strip.
At the same time, Palestinian health officials announced that at least 146 people had been killed in the past 24 hours as a result of continued Israeli airstrikes.
Tajani is scheduled to meet with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Rome on Saturday evening. Although the Italian government has been a staunch supporter of the Israeli regime in Europe, dissatisfaction with the level of destruction and human losses in Gaza is growing.
According to IRNA, a statement issued on Friday by the leaders of Ireland, Spain, Norway, Iceland, Slovenia, Luxembourg and Malta said: “We demand that Israel immediately reverse its current policy, refrain from further military operations and completely lift the blockade of Gaza, so that humanitarian aid can be distributed safely, quickly and unhindered by international agencies and by humanitarian principles throughout the Gaza Strip.”
In the statement, a copy of which was published on the Irish government website, the European leaders stressed: “We will not remain silent in the face of the man-made humanitarian catastrophe that is unfolding before our eyes in Gaza. More than 50,000 men, women, and children have already lost their lives. Without urgent action, many more may die of starvation in the coming days and weeks.”
Another part of the statement states: “The United Nations and humanitarian agencies, including the UNRWA agency, must be supported and provided with safe and unhindered access.”