President Meloni’s statement on first anniversary of Hamas’s attack on the Israeli people

On 7 October 2023, the Israeli people experienced one of the most dramatic pages in their history.

We will not forget the brutal attack that Hamas carried out a year ago today. The massacre of thousands of defenceless citizens, including women and children, remains etched in our minds, as does the scorn for their bodies, so ruthlessly shown to the world. Our thoughts are constantly with the hostages who were torn away from their families and loved ones, and are still waiting to return home.

Remembering and firmly condemning what happened a year ago is not a mere formality, but is rather the basis for any political action we need to take in order to restore peace in the Middle East, because the increasingly common reticence in doing so reveals a latent and pervasive anti-Semitism which should be of concern to everyone, as the public demonstrations of the last few days have unfortunately confirmed.

On this anniversary, we reaffirm Israel’s legitimate right to defend itself and to live safely within its borders, but also the need for that right to be exercised in accordance with international humanitarian law. Indeed, we cannot remain indifferent to the enormous toll of innocent civilian victims in Gaza, who are victims twice over: first of the cynicism of Hamas, who are using them as human shields, and then of Israel’s military operations.

The consequences of Hamas’s attack have triggered a regional escalation which could have unforeseeable outcomes. It is everyone’s duty to restore dialogue, by working to achieve a de-escalation. Italy, also as current G7 President, will keep working towards an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the release of Israeli hostages and stabilisation of the Israel-Lebanon border, through full application of UN resolutions. We confirm our support for all ongoing mediation efforts, as well as our commitment to work towards a lasting political solution, based on the prospect of two states.

[Courtesy translation]