On the occasion of the arrival in Amman this morning of a shipment of over 60 tons of humanitarian aid collected by the Italian government through the “Food for Gaza” initiative, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani, sent letters to his counterparts in Israel, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Israel Katz, the Palestinian National Authority, Mohammed Mustafa, and Jordanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ayman Safadi.
Reiterating the constant attention with which the Italian government is monitoring the evolution of the severe humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, most recently the focus of the G7 Ministers’ meeting that concluded yesterday in Reggio Calabria, Minister Tajani emphasised the “need to achieve a ceasefire, complete the release of hostages, and ensure humanitarian access to aid for the civilian population of Gaza”. According to Tajani, “Gaza cannot wait, peace must come, the civilian population must be protected, and the hostages must be released”.
As stated by Minister Tajani, “on behalf of the government, I wanted to launch the ‘Food for Gaza’ initiative to strengthen humanitarian assistance for the population of Gaza with the support of the Rome-based UN Agencies Hub, the Red Cross/Red Crescent, and the best forces of our country, in view of the material and social reconstruction of the Strip”. The over 60 tons of food and medical supplies, which have just arrived in Jordan on an Italian Cooperation flight, will then be transferred to the Gaza Strip through the “Jordanian corridor” in collaboration with the Red Crescent and the JHCO – Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation.
The “Food for Gaza” initiative, launched in March with the participation of FAO, WFP, the Red Cross, and the Red Crescent, requires the involvement of the governments of Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and Jordan for its implementation. These governments must provide essential contributions to ensure the delivery of the collected aid to Gaza. In this regard, Minister Tajani thanked his counterparts for their cooperation thus far and acknowledged the direct participation of the Israeli government and the Palestinian administration in the initiative. He also emphasised the necessity of ensuring the swift delivery of today’s shipment and future aid consignments. “Only a collective effort can yield significant results in this terrible crisis,” concluded the Minister.
To the Israeli Minister Katz, Tajani emphasised that “Israel’s contribution to the swift delivery of this material to Gaza is crucial. It is very important that Israel continues its commitment to strengthening mechanisms for the continuous access—by land and by sea—of all necessary aid to the population of Gaza.”
Since 7 October 2023, Italy has been actively engaged in responding to the humanitarian emergency in the Gaza Strip. The Italian government has provided 78.5 tons of essential goods so far; sent a unit of the Navy (the ship Vulcano) equipped with a hospital with a CT scanner, surgical and resuscitation capabilities, allowing medical assistance and care to be provided to Palestinian civilians, mostly minors; and dispatched three flights of the Air Force to transfer injured Palestinian children to Italian hospitals. Additionally, Italy has allocated a series of aid packages totaling EUR 55 million. Specifically, for the “Food for Gaza” initiative, a fund of EUR 30 million has been provided. Most recently, on 9 July, Italian Customs Agency delivered a state-of-the-art scanner to the Cypriot Customs Agency to enhance and expedite the inspection of humanitarian aid being sent through the maritime corridor of Cyprus, which will arrive in Gaza via Israeli ports.
