ISTANBUL

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on Friday urged Israel to halt its military operations in Gaza and to guarantee the safety of two senior Christian leaders delivering humanitarian aid to civilians in the besieged enclave.

“I am in contact with Cardinal Pizzaballa, who, together with Patriarch Theophilos, is entering Gaza with a cargo of 500 tons of aid for the civilian population,” Tajani said on X.

“The Italian government calls on Israel to cease military action and fully guarantee the safety of the two envoys on their important mission,” he added.

Tajani called for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, stressing: “The war in Gaza must stop.”

He said the war in Gaza must end and a path of diplomatic negotiation must be pursued.

Tajani underlined the need to halt attacks affecting civilians, ensure the release of all Israeli hostages, and expedite the entry of essential humanitarian assistance.

The Israeli army, rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, has pursued a brutal offensive against Gaza since October 2023, killing nearly 59,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.