ROME

Italy is among the countries in the world with the largest number of refugees from Gaza and is also working on hosting Palestinian students, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Monday.

Tajani met in Rome his counterpart from the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), Varsen Aghabekian, and together they visited children evacuated from Gaza and hospitalized at Rome's Umberto I, Bambino Gesu, and Policlinico Gemelli hospitals.

“We are ready to do more to host not only children but also students," Tajani said, adding that it's “not easy."

The Italian minister explained that student programs need “an agreement with the IDF, Shin Bet, the Israeli government, Mossad, and the Palestinians.”

"We are also ready to assist the civilian population in Palestinian hospitals with our doctors, once a ceasefire has been declared," Tajani said.

Israel has killed more than 63,000 people, most of them women and children, in Gaza since October 2023. The military campaign has led to famine, spread of disease and forced migrations.