Information to the Senate

Tajani: the carnage in Gaza must end. Ready to consider EU proposals for sanctions on Israel

For the Foreign Minister, 'what is happening in the Gaza Strip is increasingly unacceptable'. Tajani assured that the government will guarantee diplomatic assistance to the Italians on the Flotilla

by Rome Editorial Staff

11 September 2025

Il ministro degli Esteri Antonio Tajani nell’aula del Senato durante l’informativa su Ucraina, Medio Oriente e commercio internazionale, Roma, Giovedì 11 Settembre 2025 (Foto Roberto Monaldo / LaPresse)

4' min read

Key points

Tajani: ready to evaluate EU proposals for sanctions against Israel
"Legitimate criticism of Israel does not fuel anti-Semitism"
"Let what happened in Doha not be an excuse to break the bank"
"Useless to recognise Palestine without conditions"
Tajani: we will guarantee diplomatic assistance to Italians on Flotilla
"Russian drones offend Euro-Atlantic security area"
"No military deployment in Ukraine, monitoring and training hypothesis"

4' min read

What is happening in Gaza "continues to be an open wound for the entire international community. I want to be clear: what is happening in the Strip is increasingly unacceptable'. So said Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani in his Senate briefing on Ukraine, the Middle East and international trade. We have reiterated it in every forum and I want to reiterate it here in this Chamber too: we are firmly opposed," he explained, "to the Israeli plan to occupy Gaza and to any hypothesis of forced transfer of Palestinians from the Strip". And again: 'We have been saying for some time that the choices made by the Netanyahu government have gone far beyond a proportionate reaction, violating the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law. Too many victims, too many children have died and continue to die in Gaza City and other parts of the Strip where Hamas continues to shield the defenceless civilian population. This carnage must end now".

Tajani: ready to evaluate EU proposals for sanctions against Israel

Not only that. "We are also ready to evaluate, as soon as they are presented in the Council, the further new sanctions proposals announced by European Commission President von der Leyen in her speech in Strasbourg yesterday," Tajani added, recalling that "at the EU foreign ministers' meeting in Copenhagen last week, with Germany we proposed to impose new severe sanctions on violent settlers. We are ready to tighten the restrictive measures against those who attack Palestinian villages, going so far as to hit Christian communities".

"Let what happened in Doha not be an excuse to break the bank"

"We must resist the temptation to force a conclusion to the crisis with unilateral acts with unpredictable effects; we hope that what happened in Doha on Tuesday does not offer a pretext to those who want to break the bank," Tajani then pointed out in his Senate briefing, speaking of the Israeli raid in Doha in Qatar against the Hamas leadership.

"Legitimate criticism of Israel does not fuel anti-Semitism.

"Legitimate criticism of" Israel's actions "must never fuel a new anti-Semitism in Italy and Europe like the one that led to the Shoah," the foreign minister clarified, however.

"Useless to recognise Palestine without conditions"

The minister also emphasised that the government is 'working concretely, operationally' 'without waving flags of convenience, for the birth of a true Palestinian state, thus creating the conditions for the two-state solution'. But he specified that 'recognising a state without first creating the conditions for its birth would not produce any effect, other than that of distancing peace'. And he concluded: 'I want to reiterate here emphatically that Italy is in favour of the birth of a state that will allow the people of Palestine to realise their dream: to live safely in their own home'.

Tajani: we will guarantee diplomatic assistance to Italians on Flotilla

Just as the prime minister had already done, Tajani assured that all protection and security measures will be taken for the compatriots taking part in the initiative of the Global Sumud Flotilla. "To the 58 Italian citizens taking part in the initiative we will guarantee, as we wanted to ensure together with the President of the Council, diplomatic and consular assistance. As we have always done for the Italian citizens detained in Israel for similar initiatives," the foreign minister also guaranteed. "I have asked," said Tajani, "the ministry's crisis unit to remain in close contact with the Italian spokesperson for the Flotilla. Our Embassy in Tel Aviv was activated and, on my instruction, made the Israeli authorities aware of the respect for the rights of all the compatriots on the Flotilla, including some parliamentarians. I called Foreign Minister Sa'ar to make him personally aware of the issue'. But, Tajani added, 'using the humanitarian channels that are already active and effective would avoid exposing the participants to the risks of travelling to a crisis zone. Unlike many who just talk, the Italian government is helping the Palestinian people with facts and concrete actions".

"Russian drones offend Euro-Atlantic area security"

Strongly stigmatised the intrusion of Russian drones into Poland, as had Prime Minister Meloni the day before. "Yesterday's attack on Polish territory is a very serious and unacceptable fact, an offence against the security of the entire Euro-Atlantic area," the minister said. "Italy immediately expressed its full solidarity with Poland, reaffirming its commitment to the defence of sovereignty and territorial integrity," Tajani added, also mentioning the Italian radar aircraft that is part of the allied security apparatus under NATO control. "These Russian initiatives are in blatant contradiction with the path that seemed to have started with the summit in Alaska"

"No military deployment in Ukraine, monitoring and training hypothesis"

Reiterated the no to sending military personnel to Ukraine: 'For the government, the hypothesis of sending Italian military personnel to Ukraine is not on the agenda. Instead, the hypothesis of monitoring and training of military personnel outside the Ukrainian borders is under consideration, only once the cessation of hostilities has been achieved".

"Understanding on US tariffs is open to further exemptions"

The EU-US agreement on tariffs defended. "The government has been instrumental in supporting a constructive European position to avoid a trade war with the US that would have caused serious damage to our companies. The agreement reached guarantees stability and leaves open the prospect of obtaining a series of further exemptions in favour of some strategic sectors of our industry and agribusiness," Tajani recalled.