Italy's Meloni expresses “deep concern” over ‘Israel's’ Gaza plan

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Monday expressed "deep concern" over ‘Israel's’ plan to take control of Gaza City, in a telephone conversation with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Meloni shared "her deep concern over recent Israeli decisions, which appear to be leading to further military escalation" and slammed the humanitarian situation in the Strip as "unjustifiable and unacceptable", her office said.

Read more: Italy signals possible sanctions on 'Israel' over Gaza aggression

Additionally, Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said in an interview published Monday that Italy may consider imposing sanctions on 'Israel', not as a move against the state itself, but to “save its citizens from a government that has lost its reason and humanity.”

He compared 'Israeli' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s conduct in Gaza to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine, warning that recent events in Gaza and the West Bank mark a “qualitative leap” requiring decisive action.

Crosetto condemned 'Israel’s' actions in Gaza as “the pure denial of the law and the founding values of our civilization,” saying they go beyond a military operation with collateral damage, warning that the scale of civilian suffering shows 'Israeli' aggression has strayed far from legitimate self-defense.

While rejecting recognition of a Palestinian state at present, calling it a “political provocation” without a functioning state in place, the minister reaffirmed support for a two-state solution, emphasizing the need to end Hamas’ rule without displacing the Palestinian people.