Italy says protection of civilians in Gaza absolute priority

ATHENS

Italy on Wednesday said the protection of civilians in Gaza is among the country’s absolute priority.

Following his phone call with the Israeli counterpart Eli Cohen, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on X: “I underlined how the protection of civilians and the increase in humanitarian access to alleviate the suffering of the population in Gaza are absolute priorities for the Italian Government.”

Tajani also reiterated his country’s solidarity with Israel against Hamas’ cross-border attacks on Oct.7.

Israel has bombarded the Gaza Strip from the air and land, imposed a siege and mounted a ground offensive in retaliation for a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7.

At least 18,412 Palestinians have been killed and 50,100 injured in the Israeli onslaught since then, according to Gaza’s health authorities.

The official Israeli death toll in the Hamas attack stands at 1,200, while around 139 hostages remain in captivity, according to official figures.

• Deputy prime Minister Antonio Tajani
• Gaza
• Israel-Palestine conflict
• Italian Foreign Minister