NEW YORK, OCTOBER 24 – Preventing spillover in the region remains the main concern, and Italy continues to engage with its key partners for this purpose. This message was conveyed by the Italian Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Maurizio Massari, who today addressed a the Security Council debate convened by the rotating Brazilian presidency on the crisis in the Middle East triggered by Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7.
Ambassador Massari highlighted the intense diplomatic activity of the Italian government since the beginning of the crisis and expressed strong condemnation of Hamas’s brutal acts of terrorism. He called for the immediate release of hostages and expressed full solidarity with Israel, emphasizing Israel’s right to self-defense in accordance with international law, human rights, and international humanitarian law.
At the same time, Ambassador Massari emphasized that Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people, who are suffering immensely in Gaza these days. He underscored the need for safe humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip for the delivery of food, water, electricity, fuel, medicines, and all other essential goods.
In recalling the participation of the Prime Minister Meloni at the Cairo Summit last Saturday, Massari mentioned her meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and the King of Jordan, as well as the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antonio Tajani, frequent contacts with regional players in Israel, Jordan, Egypt, and Tunisia. He concluded by emphasizing the urgency of a political solution that can lead to a two-state resolution.
The Security Council witnessed tense tones and a harsh confrontation between the Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, and Israel, which provoked the anger of the Israeli ambassador and a demand from the Israeli ambassador, Gilad Erdan, for the immediate resignation of the head of the United Nations.
“It is important,” Guterres said at the heated meeting in the Glass Palace, “to recognize that Hamas’s attacks did not come out of nowhere. The Palestinian people have endured 56 years of suffocating occupation.” He then added that, of course, “the suffering of the Palestinian people cannot justify the horrific attacks by Hamas,” but also that those same attacks “cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.” Guterres deplored the “clear violations of international humanitarian law” occurring in the Strip and insisted on the call for “a humanitarian ceasefire,” which Israel has repeatedly rejected. (@OnuItalia)
