Italian defense minister expresses concerns about escalation in Middle East

ROME

Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto expressed Tuesday his concerns for a possible escalation of the conflict in the Middle East to his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant, according to his office.

“While expressing my friendship to Minister Gallant, I reiterated my concerns for the possible evolution in the middle eastern region, which is already under strain,” a statement said Crosetto told Gallant in a telephone call.

“Now, maturity is necessary, as well as, acting according to international law to avoid falling into a spiral of violence which will see us all defeated,” he said.

Crosetto said a “red line” was passed with Iran’s attack on Israeli soil late Saturday.

“An unprecedented attack, which luckily produced limited damage, thanks to the efficacy of Israeli air and anti-missile defense,” he said.

He added that Italy will continue to provide humanitarian aid to Palestinians with flights carrying injured minors to receive care at Italian pediatric hospitals.

“The country will continue to support in any way the conditions” to continue negotiations between Israel, Hamas and other international countries involved, he added.​​​​​​​