The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani, held telephone conversations with the Palestinian Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mohammad Mustafa, and the Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gideon Sa’ar. The discussions focused on the prospects for achieving a ceasefire and restoring humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.
During the calls, Tajani expressed the Italian Government’s concern over the severe human toll being endured by the Palestinian civilian population due to the ongoing conflict. The Minister reiterated Italy’s clear stance, also reaffirmed in yesterday’s Supreme Defence Council, in favour of a ceasefire and the release of the remaining Israeli hostages, highlighting the grave responsibilities of Hamas in the current situation. All parties were urged to resume negotiations, with the aim of revitalising the political process for a solution based on the two-state principle.
In the phone calls, the Minister stressed the urgency of ensuring humanitarian assistance in the Strip to alleviate the suffering of the civilian population. Recalling the success of the “Food for Gaza” initiative, which has seen Italy send over 110 tonnes of medical and food aid, Tajani called on Minister Sa’ar to ensure full access and distribution of supplies in coordination with the United Nations World Food Programme.
The Minister also confirmed Italy’s willingness to provide further assistance. In this regard, today the Council of Ministers decided to extend the state of emergency in the Gaza Strip for an additional 12 months and allocated a further 2.5 million euros to continue providing assistance to the affected population. Specifically, Tajani confirmed to the Palestinian Prime Minister Italy’s commitment to continue the healthcare programme for the Palestinian population, which has enabled the transfer of patients in need to Italy for treatment in the country’s leading hospitals in recent months. He also outlined a programme offering 97 scholarships, decided by the Conference of Italian University Rectors (CRUI) in collaboration with the Ministry of Education (MUR) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for Palestinian students interested in pursuing a complete university course (bachelor’s, master’s, or single-cycle degree) at one of the 35 Italian universities that have participated in the initiative.
