{"id":137083,"date":"2025-05-22T09:05:27","date_gmt":"2025-05-22T07:05:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/sala_stampa\/archivionotizie\/\/2025\/05\/tajani-netanyahu-ora-fermi-le-bombe-si-alla-palestina-senza-hamas-il-messaggero\/"},"modified":"2025-05-22T14:12:57","modified_gmt":"2025-05-22T12:12:57","slug":"tajani-netanyahu-ora-fermi-le-bombe-si-alla-palestina-senza-hamas-il-messaggero","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/en\/sala_stampa\/archivionotizie\/interviste\/2025\/05\/tajani-netanyahu-ora-fermi-le-bombe-si-alla-palestina-senza-hamas-il-messaggero\/","title":{"rendered":"Tajani: \u201cNetanyahu must now stop the bombs. Yes to Palestine, but without Hamas\u201d (Il Messaggero)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Enough is enough. Antonio Tajani sends a clear message to Benjamin Netanyahu: \u201cThe bombing of Gaza must stop. An immediate ceasefire is needed\u201d. The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs speaks to Il Messaggero<\/em> on his return flight from Brussels. Just hours earlier, the Israeli army had opened fire in Jenin near a delegation of diplomats \u2013 including the Italian deputy consul.<\/p>\n

Minister, what is your response to the gunfire in Jenin?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWe have summoned the Israeli ambassador in Rome and requested clarification. It is unacceptable to use firearms against a diplomatic delegation. Equally unacceptable is the claim that the delegation took a wrong turn. Israel had been informed of their movements\u201d.<\/p>\n

How did you find out?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI was travelling with President Mattarella and informed him immediately. I then phoned Prime Minister Meloni. It\u2019s an unacceptable breach of international law. Diplomats must never be targeted\u201d.<\/p>\n

Has Netanyahu gone too far?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cOur position is clear. The bombings must stop. We need an immediate ceasefire and the release of hostages by Hamas, which must leave Gaza. The only actor we recognise is the Palestinian Authority\u201d.<\/p>\n

Is Italy condemning Netanyahu?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cItalian dissent is clear in our actions. Netanyahu must halt the raids on Gaza and restore humanitarian aid. Yesterday, we voted in favour of the WHO resolution calling for an end to the health emergency in Gaza. It\u2019s vital that health conditions meet international standards \u2013 a topic we are discussing with Israel\u201d.<\/p>\n

The opposition accuses you of remaining silent.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cDemagoguery. We respond with action. Italy supports the solution proposed by Egypt and Arab countries to rebuild Gaza without displacing the population. We have extended the state of emergency for Gaza, allocated new funds, and on Tuesday we helped 52 Palestinians leave the Strip\u201d.<\/p>\n

Trump’s proposal includes deportation.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cDeportation is not an option. No Arab country would accept it. We are committed to a two-state solution for two peoples\u201d.<\/p>\n

So Italy will recognise the Palestinian State?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cOf course \u2013 but not with Hamas. Recognition must be the outcome of a negotiated process with Israel, in which both states recognise each other. Otherwise, it would be a symbolic gesture without substance\u201d.<\/p>\n

Is genocide taking place?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a clear violation of international humanitarian law. Israel is a friend, and that\u2019s why we say this openly: the bombings must stop. At the same time, Hamas must release all hostages \u2013 it is they who brought war upon their own people. Today, Hamas has been defeated\u201d.<\/p>\n

The EU wants to review its Association Agreement with Tel Aviv. Italy voted no. Why?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWe weren\u2019t alone \u2013 ten countries, including Germany, voted no. The tally was seventeen to ten\u201d.<\/p>\n

Will the Food for Gaza initiative resume?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s ready to resume. Israeli authorities will soon allow Italian food supplies, currently held at the port of Ashdod, to enter. We have the support of both Israelis and Palestinians. The aid is distributed by the World Food Programme and does not pass through UNRWA\u201d.<\/p>\n

Netanyahu is wanted by the Hague. If he came to Italy, would he be arrested?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cLegally speaking, arresting a head of government is extremely complex. He would arrive with his own security detail \u2013 are we imagining a gunfight between Mossad and the Carabinieri? This is purely theoretical\u201d.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s turn to the war in Ukraine. Can the Vatican help break the deadlock?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Vatican\u2019s mediation could be crucial. But I\u2019m sceptical that Putin wants to end the war soon. We all hope for a ceasefire, but Russia is buying time\u201d.<\/p>\n

Why?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cPutin has a million troops in the field, paid double the wage of a factory worker. The entire Russian industry has been retooled for defence. Ending the war now would risk plunging the country into even deeper economic crisis\u201d.<\/p>\n

Is Trump wrong to trust him?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cAny peace effort is welcome, and we fully support American mediation. But the ball is now in Russia\u2019s court\u201d.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s another American on the scene: Pope Leo XIV. When will talks begin at the Vatican?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cHopefully soon. But we mustn\u2019t be superficial. At his enthronement, the Pope delivered a deeply powerful speech on Christian peace. I\u2019m convinced he will play a key role\u201d.<\/p>\n

Will Zelensky have to give up the occupied territories?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThat will be up to the Russians and Ukrainians to negotiate. What\u2019s essential is that Europe is at the table. We\u2019ve imposed sanctions on Russia, and we need guarantees before lifting them. This isn\u2019t about humiliating a country but about defending international law, which Moscow has violated\u201d.<\/p>\n

The Tirana summit went ahead without Italy, which raised eyebrows. Is Macron trying to sideline Meloni?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cItaly was never excluded. We are recognised by everyone \u2013 from the United States to Merz and Starmer \u2013 as a key player. Meloni and Macron have also spoken directly\u2026\u201d.<\/p>\n

So you\u2019re not worried about French manoeuvres?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t do without Italy. We are Europe\u2019s second-largest manufacturing power, the world\u2019s fifth-largest trading power. Trying to sideline us would be surreal\u201d.<\/p>\n

In July, the reconstruction conference will take place in Rome. Will that follow a ceasefire?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI hope for a ceasefire first, then a truce, and finally peace. The Rome conference will be a major event involving leading Italian and international companies in rebuilding Ukraine. We\u2019re optimistic, but we must also remain realistic. Challenging weeks lie ahead\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Enough is enough. Antonio Tajani sends a clear message to Benjamin Netanyahu: \u201cThe bombing of Gaza must stop. An immediate ceasefire is needed\u201d. The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs speaks to Il Messaggero on his return flight from Brussels. Just hours earlier, the Israeli army had opened fire in Jenin near a […]","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":137010,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[6,28],"class_list":["post-137083","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interviste","tag-mediterraneo-e-medio-oriente","tag-ministro"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/137083","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=137083"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/137083\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":137084,"href":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/137083\/revisions\/137084"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/137010"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=137083"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=137083"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=137083"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}