ROME 

Italy said Thursday it does not support any move that could lead to the annexation of the West Bank by Israel.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani reiterated Rome’s opposition to the scenario.

According to Italy’s ANSA news agency, Tajani told a joint session of the Foreign and Defense Committees of the Senate and Chamber of Deputies that Arab nations would only consider proposals focused on the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip and the creation of a Palestinian state.

“Therefore, we do not share or support any option that could lead to the inclusion of the West Bank into the State of Israel,” he said.

He noted ceasefire negotiations in Gaza, saying, “The ball is in Hamas’s court.”

Addressing the Senate during a question session, Tajani confirmed that all authorizations for arms exports to Israel had been suspended since Oct. 7, 2023.

At least 989 Palestinians have been killed and more than 7,000 injured in the West Bank by Israeli forces and illegal settlers since the start of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

The International Court of Justice last July declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.