(MENAFN- AzerNews) There are around 1,000 Italians requiring repatriation from
Israel following the resurgence of hostilities between Israelis and
Palestinians triggered by Saturday's surprise air, sea and land
attack by Hamas from Gaza, Foreign Minister and Deputy Premier
Antonio Tajani said, Azernews reports, citing
ANSA.
These include around 400 Italians who flew back to Italy on
military flights on Tuesday morning or who are due to arrive later
in the day.
Since the start of the crisis the government's "priority has
been the Italians in Israel", Tajani told the Lower House in a
briefing ahead of his trip to Egypt on Wednesday, adding that there
is no news of the missing couple with dual Italian-Israeli
citizenship.
"They are probably hostages, we will do what we can," he
said.
"There are about 1,000 Italians" present in the country "in
addition to the 18,000 Italian residents in Israel", adding that
the government is working "to repatriate them all".
On top of the 400 Italians repatriated on Tuesday, Tajani said a
further 500 people would be flying back on commercial and military
planes "in the coming days".
There are also 10 Italians in Gaza, including a young girl, the
minister added.
On diplomacy, Tajani said Egypt is "a crucial interlocutor" and
"can play a fundamental role as a go-between with Hamas in crisis
situations", also "to facilitate negotiations on the hostages"
being held in Gaza.
"We can also count on the constructive contribution of Saudi
Arabia and Jordan," he added, stressing the importance of working
"with our allies to promote de-escalation and implement
humanitarian initiatives to alleviate the suffering of the civilian
population".
On Wednesday Tajani will be in Cairo where he will meet
President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and
the Secretary of the Arab League Aboul Gheit.
"For this insane spiral of violence there is only one guilty
party: Hamas. The attack on Israel is a very serious act of
aggression, without justification," Tajani told parliament.
"It has claimed hundreds of innocent victims and injured
thousands.
It has reignited a conflict that now risks spreading, with
devastating consequences. Such a brutal and irresponsible action
must be unambiguously condemned," he added, insisting that the only
path to peace remains "a just and sustainable two-state solution,
negotiated directly between the parties, in line with the
parameters established by international law and relevant Security
Council resolutions".
Tajani also said while in Egypt he would sign a declaration with
his Egyptian counterpart on combating irregular migration.
"This new crisis reminds us that we cannot and must not let our
guard down on this front," he said.
MENAFN11102023000195011045ID1107222872
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.