Italy urges Israel to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza

​​​​​​​By Baris Seckin

ROME (AA) - Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani urged Israel on Friday to ensure access to food and humanitarian aid to civilians in the Gaza Strip, amid escalating concerns about the humanitarian situation.

Tajani held phone conversations with Palestinian Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Mustafa, and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar.

“I confirmed to Palestinian Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mustafa that Italy has asked Israel to allow the entry and distribution of food and humanitarian aid to the civilian population in Gaza. Reactivating the 'Food for Gaza' initiative is of vital importance," he wrote on X. "Today, in the Council of Ministers, we allocated an additional €2.5 million to aid the civilian population in the Gaza Strip, and we are also strengthening our efforts with support such as scholarships for Palestinian students and healthcare assistance in Italy.”

Foreign Ministry noted that “the focus of the conversations was the prospect of reaching a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and restoring humanitarian aid.”

It said Tajani conveyed “the Italian government’s deep concern” to both ministers “about the very heavy humanitarian toll paid by Palestinian civilians due to the conflict.”

The statement emphasized that Tajani underlined the urgency of facilitating humanitarian aid to relieve civilian suffering in Gaza.

“In this context, Tajani asked Minister Saar to ensure full access to and distribution of aid supplies in coordination with the UN World Food Programme (WFP),” it added.

Tajani reiterated Italy’s stance in favor of a ceasefire and the release of hostages, and urged all parties to return to negotiations, aiming for a political resolution based on the two peoples-two states framework.

It also reaffirmed Italy’s commitment to providing additional assistance.