On a visit to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories Monday, Italy's foreign minister will urge intensified efforts to end the devastating war in Gaza, whose impact on civilians is now "intolerable", Italy's foreign minister Antonio Tajani said ahead of the visit.
"We will underline the Italian position, which has always been very sensitive to the civilian population, on whom the impact of the war is now intolerable," Tajani told daily Corriere della Sera in an interview published on Monday.
Tajani recalled the 'Food for Gaza' scheme to ship supplies to the besieged and blockaded coastal strip which Italy's government launched in February in coordination with Rome-based UN agencies World Food Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organisation, the Red Cross and Red Crescent.
"This has the support of Israel and the Palestinian Authority and we have already delivered many tonnes of food aid," Tajani said.
"And we will open the G7 Development in Pescara with an international conference on humanitarian aid," he said.
Turning to the key issue of a ceasefire, Tajani said: "We must be optimistic and determined to work for peace."
With the killing last week by Israeli forces of Yahya Sinwar in Gaza, "Hamas's military wing has been defeated and Israel has won," he claimed.
A ceasefire in the more-than-a-year-old war in Gaza and the release of over 100 Israeli hostages still being there "is in everyone's interest," Tajani argued.
"It is obvious that the ceasefire depends on Israel, but we will continue to work on the diplomatic front, also with the Arab countries that have an important role in the future of Palestine and Lebanon," said Tajani.
Israel has the right to self-defence to ensure its security but must always respect international humanitarian law, Tajani underscored.
"But it is crucial to avoid a regional escalation with unpredictable consequences, by creating two buffer zones, one involving the Lebanese army and another with a reinforced Unifil (the UN peacekeeping force), perhaps with different rules of engagement," Tajani said.
Israel has intensified its current conflict with Iran-backed pro-Palestinian group Hezbollah in Lebanon which began with Gaza war, launching a ground offensive in the south last month and though air strikes across the country.
"I will seek reassurance from Israel that any attack on Unifil soldiers must be considered a serious violation of international law and of UN Resolution 1701 (which ended Israel's 2006 war with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon), Tajani stated.
During his trip to the region on Monday, Tajani is visiting the West Bank town of Ramallah, where he will meet with the PA leadership, and will also got to Tel Aviv, and Jerusalem, he said.
.jpg)
