Acting on the instructions of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani, a technical delegation organised by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) carried out a mission to Jerusalem and Ramallah on 20–21 October as part of Italy’s commitment to the reconstruction of Gaza. The mission brought together representatives from several branches of the Italian administration: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Office of the Diplomatic Adviser to the Prime Minister, the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), the Civil Protection Department, and Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP).
In Ramallah, the Italian delegation met with senior officials of the Palestinian National Authority, including Estephan Salameh, Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, and Omar Bitar, Minister of Finance. With a view to mobilising resources for reconstruction, the delegation also held meetings in Jerusalem with representatives of the World Bank, the European Investment Bank, and other European Union institutions.
Discussions with Minister of Health Maged Abu Ramadan focused on ongoing programmes to ensure medical care for Palestinian children and patients, as well as on opportunities for Italy to launch innovative projects in telemedicine, prosthetics, maternal and child health, and the deployment of medical personnel and equipment to strengthen healthcare provision in the region.
The delegation also met with United Nations representatives, long-standing partners in humanitarian initiatives in the Gaza Strip since the onset of the crisis. Talks included updates on the “Food for Gaza” programme launched by Minister Tajani in March 2024, which has been assigned a central role among the twenty key points of the peace agreement for managing the post-conflict humanitarian response. These issues were discussed during a meeting with Ramiz Alkbarov, the UN Resident Coordinator in Jerusalem, attended also by local representatives of the FAO, World Food Programme (WFP), World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
Dialogue with the Palestinian National Authority also focused on the programme supporting Gaza’s reconstruction process, announced last October following the Humanitarian Conference in Pescara chaired by Minister Tajani, and in anticipation of the upcoming visit to Italy by President Mahmoud Abbas in November. In particular, discussions examined the strengthening and expansion of the programme currently implemented by the Ministry of Planning, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the IUAV University of Architecture in Venice.
The delegation also met with civil society organisations operating in Jerusalem and the Palestinian Territories, along with Italian officials working with the European Union and United Nations agencies.
The mission identified several key priorities for recovery and reconstruction, including food security, physical and mental health, education, the protection of women and children, and support for the private sector.
The programme will continue in the coming days with a mission to Jordan, led by Ambassador Archi, MAECI Special Envoy for the Reconstruction of Gaza.
