Italy 'absolutely against' Israeli plan to occupy Gaza

ISTANBUL

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Friday that they are "absolutely against" Israel's plan to occupy Gaza.

"We are absolutely against it," Tajani said in an interview with Quotidiano Nazionale, underlining that it undermines a two-state solution, which is "the only possible solution for peace."

He noted that they are facing "carnage" in Gaza, and called for the entry of journalists into the region so that they can "independently report on the dramatic situation in the Strip."

"We favor recognizing Palestine, but we must first build a Palestinian state, which currently doesn't exist. So we're working to build it: that's why we also favor a United Nations mission, led by Arabs, to unify Palestine. And in this context, we're also ready to send our troops. On Sept. 1, I might add, the Palestinian foreign minister will be coming to Rome," Tajani added.

Alaska summit

Tajani also commented on the Alaska summit between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, describing it as a "turning point" after which real negotiations can begin.

"I don't know how willing he (Putin) will be to listen to Trump's requests and how much he wants to reach a ceasefire to end the war quickly. The question, therefore, isn't so much what Trump will ask, but what Putin will be willing to accept. The ball is in his court. He's the one who must say whether he wants dialogue, whether he wants to meet with (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelenskyy or not," he said.

Tajani further stressed that everything concerning Ukraine must be decided by Ukraine along with the parties involved, underlining that "a peace agreement cannot be made over Ukraine's head."

"After the ceasefire, direct negotiations will have to open, as mentioned, between Zelensky and Putin. At that point, Ukraine will have to decide on its own territories: no one else can decide on any Ukrainian territory," he underscored.