Italy to lead new initiative for assisting Palestinian civilians: Foreign minister

By Baris Seckin

ROME (AA) - Italy will lead a new initiative for assisting Palestinian civilians, the foreign minister said Monday.

"Italy will lead a new humanitarian initiative to assist the Palestinian civilian people," Antonio Tajani told the Italian daily La Stampa.

He said he would invite all Rome-based UN institutions to the ministry.

"We can prepare food delivery to Gaza via a table for peace. Its slogan can be 'Food for Gaza'," Tajani added, recalling that the situation in the region is complicated.

"I hope Qatar, Egypt, and the US can convince the parties for a cease-fire at the start of (Muslim holy month of) Ramadan. Our strategic objective is the formula of 'two peoples, two states,' where Israel is recognized in security by the Arab world, and Palestinians have their institutional reality."

Tajani stressed that Israel will have to carry out a rigorous investigation into the Feb. 29 attack on civilians.

Israeli forces fired at hundreds of Palestinians gathering near the Nablusi Roundabout south of Gaza City to obtain humanitarian aid, particularly flour, resulting in 118 deaths and 760 injuries, according to the Health Ministry.

The Israeli army claimed that some crowds approached its soldiers, posing a threat and prompting them to open fire.

Extremist right-wing Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir expressed his support for the soldiers who fired at Palestinian civilians, describing them as "heroes."

Israel has launched a deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip following a cross-border incursion by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7. The ensuing Israeli bombardment has killed 30,534 people and injured 71,920 others with mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

*Writing by Nur Asena Erturk in Ankara