The Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antonio Tajani, held a series of telephone conversations today regarding the situation in Gaza and the prospects for a ceasefire. He spoke with the Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Anita Anand, who currently holds the G7 Presidency; the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani; and the Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Badr Abdelatty.
Minister Tajani reaffirmed “Italy’s full commitment to securing an immediate end to military operations in Gaza. My counterparts briefed me firstly on the efforts being undertaken in support of a ceasefire — efforts which we are advancing together with our G7 partners — and secondly, on the current state of negotiations between Israel and Hamas. This is an extremely delicate moment: for months, negotiations have made no concrete progress, as more radical positions have continued to prevail. We must put an end to attacks affecting Palestinian civilians, ensure the release of Israeli hostages, secure a lasting ceasefire, and reopen the Gaza Strip to humanitarian and medical assistance. The mediation efforts led by the United States, Egypt and Qatar must succeed. Italy will do everything necessary, both within the G7 and the European Union, to support this mediation process”.
Minister Tajani underlined that, for Italy, the prospect of an initial 60-day ceasefire “represents a crucial step — one which must not be missed under any circumstances. No party involved can bypass this phase. Italy’s support, particularly for the proposals put forward by the U.S. Administration, is clear and unwavering”. In his conversations with Arab counterparts, Minister Tajani also discussed concrete initiatives that Italy stands ready to undertake together with its Mediterranean partners, as well as humanitarian operations that must be launched immediately upon the reopening of border crossings by the Israeli authorities.
