ROME: Italy said on Monday that Israeli attacks on Palestinian civilians in Gaza were no longer justified, in one of the harshest criticisms Rome has leveled against Israel’s campaign thus far.
“There is an increasingly difficult situation, in which the Palestinian people are being squeezed without regard for the rights of innocent men, women and children who have nothing to do with Hamas and this can no longer be justified,” Guido Crosetto, the defense minister, told SkyT We are watching the situation with despair.”
Crosetto said Italy agreed in principle with Israel’s response to Hamas militants’ Oct. 7 assault on southern Israeli communities. Still, he added that a distinction needed to be made between the militant group and the Palestinian people.
On Saturday, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani met with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa in Rome, reiterating their support for a cease-fire and urging Hamas to release Israeli hostages.
Italy has repeatedly stated that Israel has the right to defend itself from Hamas. Last week, Rome stated that an International Criminal Court prosecutor’s decision to seek an arrest warrant for Israeli leaders was “unacceptable.
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