Italy's 5-Star Movement slams government’s policy on war in Gaza

By Baris Seckin

ROME (AA) - Italy's opposition 5-Star Movement slammed the government on Monday over its policy on Israel’s war in Gaza.

Speaking at a meeting of the Foreign Press Association in Rome, Giuseppe Conte, who led two separate governments from 2018-2021, said Italy's abstention during voting at the UN General Assembly in May on Palestine's bid for membership in the United Nations, was "shameful."

By doing so, the government proved it is indifferent to what has been happening in Gaza and Rafah, he said.

Noting that at least 35,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its war on Gaza on Oct. 7 last year, Conte said "there is no need for you to be a jurist and know about international humanitarian law to find this unacceptable."

Maintaining that what has happened since Oct. 7 has been terrible, he added: "However, the reaction against it is unacceptable. Israel has a right to self-defense, but what is going on is not acceptable."

Nearly 35,100 Palestinians have been killed and over 78,800 others injured in a brutal Israeli onslaught on the Gaza Strip since an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas that killed nearly 1,200 people on Oct. 7 last year.

More than seven months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). An interim ruling in January said it is "plausible" that Tel Aviv is committing genocide in Gaza, ordering it to stop such acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in the enclave.