Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has voiced her support for Israel, insisting that the country was dragged into a war in Gaza by the surprise attacks by Palestinian militant group Hamas in early October.
Speaking on Saturday at a news conference following the G7 summit in southern Italy, Meloni called for recognizing the right of both Israel and Palestine to live in peace and safety.
“It looks like Israel is jumping into a trap. For the trap of Hamas was to isolate it. It seems it is working,” Meloni said, urging those who support West Jerusalem “to give clear words for its safety” and stressing that “this is exactly what Italy is doing.”
Responding to a reporter’s question on why the G7 leaders had not condemned the Israeli offensive in Gaza and the continuing humanitarian crisis in the enclave, the prime minister said that it had to be remembered “who started all this” and that “it wasn’t Israel, but someone who killed civilians, women and children.”
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched its operation in Gaza following the October 7 Hamas attack on villages in southern Israel, in which some 1,200 people were killed and another 250 were taken hostage. The latest data from the Gaza health authorities shows that more than 37,200 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 85,000 have been injured since the beginning of the military campaign.
Meloni also highlighted “the right of the Palestinians to have their own state in which to live peacefully.”
“It is the only way to address this problem, our job is to dialogue with everyone,” she concluded.
Israel’s war with Hamas and the siege of Gaza have drawn international criticism in recent months, including threats of sanctions. West Jerusalem has recently experienced a steady decline in Western support due to the mounting death toll and deepening humanitarian crisis in the enclave.
Israeli authorities have repeatedly defended their right to neutralize Hamas in an effort to protect the nation from terrorism. Earlier on Sunday, the IDF announced a “tactical pause” in military activity along a route in southern Gaza to allow aid to be distributed.