ISTANBUL

Italian President Sergio Mattarella said Wednesday that the situation in Gaza has become more serious and intolerable, calling for an effective ceasefire.

"It is obvious to say that the situation in Gaza is becoming, day by day, dramatically more serious and intolerable," Mattarella said during a traditional ceremony at the Quirinal Palace in Rome, according to Italian news agency ANSA.

He called for an "effective ceasefire," underlining that the Israeli strikes leading to heavy civilian casualties can "no longer be seen as unintended."

"It is difficult to see an unintentional repetition of mistakes in such a chain and not recognize obstinacy to kill indiscriminately," Mattarella noted, citing strikes on ambulances, aid workers, hungry civilians, and hospitalized children.

He further mentioned the recent Israeli strike on a Catholic church in Gaza, stressing that the "shocking bombing" was also called a "mistake."

"For centuries, from Seneca to Saint Augustine, we have been reminded that 'to err is human, to persevere is diabolical," he added.

Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, killing over 60,100 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.