Italian refusal forces Israel to cancel its ambassador’s appointment

JERUSALEM

Israel’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday canceled the appointment of an Israeli settler as its ambassador to Italy after Rome refused to approve the move.

Israel has nominated Benny Kashriel, the former mayor of Ma’ale Adumim settlement in occupied East Jerusalem, as its envoy in Rome, but Italy declined to approve his appointment, Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported.

The Foreign Ministry is now planning to switch Kashriel with Israel's designated ambassador in Hungry, the daily said.

Around 725,000 Israeli settlers live in 176 settlements and 186 outposts in the occupied West Bank, according to Palestinian figures.

Under international law, all Jewish settlements in the occupied territories are considered illegal.

Israel has been under growing pressure from the EU, US and other international to halt its settlement activities in the occupied West Bank and curb settler violence against Palestinians.

Tensions have been running high across the West Bank since Israel launched a deadly military offensive against the Gaza Strip after a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023.

At least 420 Palestinians have since been killed and more than 4,600 others injured by Israeli fire in the occupied territory, according to the Health Ministry.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which in an interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza, where at least 30,800 people have been killed.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar