Premier Giorgia Meloni said Wednesday
she feared Israel's increasing isolation over its plans to
launch a ground offensive in the southern Gazan city of Rafah
where over a million Palestinians have taken refuge amid looming
fears of starvation unless key aid is let in.
"It is important to remember who started the conflict," Meloni
said in the House, during her reply in the debate on her
communications ahead of the European Council, referring to the
brutal and unprecedented Hamas attack on southern Isreal on
October 7 that killed, raped and dismembered 1,200 people and
took 230 Israeli and foreign hostages.
"But I also think there are some things that need to be done.
"On which Italy is also trying to have a clear position.
"Particularly on what is happening in Gaza.
"We fear an increasing isolation of Israel," she said after the
Palestinian civilian death toll in Israel's retaliatory campaign
passed 31,000, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in
Gaza.
"Also in Israel's interest we must clearly reiterate our
opposition to a military ground operation in Rafah that could
have catastrophic effects".
In other remarks on Gaza, Meloni said "full light" must be shed
on the Palestinian refugee aid organisation UNRWA, the alleged
participation of about a dozen of its staffers in the Hamas
attack, and the alleged misallocation of funds, before any
funding to the organisation could be restored.
She said she disagreed with Italian Left leader Nicola
Fratoianni on immediately restoring UNRWA funds.
"Until full light is shed on the use of the resources, we must
not make this mistake," she said.
"That does not mean not addressing civilians in Gaza: while we
suspend the funds to UNRWA, other associations are operating,
and we have transferred 20 million euros to the Red Cross and
the Red Crescent.
"And today we are set to earmark further aid for Food for Gaza
in order to better coordinate the aid."
In other remarks related to the Middle East conflict, Meloni
said she found it "concerning" that Turin university's Senate
had decided not to take part in a scientific tender with Israel
in protest at the civilian deaths in Gaza, after pro-Palestinian
leftwing collectives occupied the Senate building.
She said that "if institutions bend to these methods we risk
having many problems".
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