Forza Italia leader and Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Tuesday that Italy was considering sending ‘peacekeepers’ as part of its strategy to de-escalate the situation in Gaza and in the event of the creation of a Palestinian state with the support of other countries.
Tajani’s comments come ahead of the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting in Capri on 17-19 April.
Speaking at a forum organised by Ansa on Tuesday, Tajani said: “Our task is to prevent conflicts and reassure our public opinion: The Italian government is strongly committed to peace. We are friends of Israel, but we want to work for peace, including the possible deployment of troops in the event of the creation of a Palestinian state with the support of other countries,” Tajani said.
Tajani reiterated the importance of the “two-state solution” as “the only viable option for regional stability” and stressed that Italy continues its efforts to engage in dialogue with the main political actors in the region.
The Foreign Minister also noted that Italy maintains a strong dialogue with the Palestinian Authority and has invited the new Prime Minister, Mohammed Mustafa, “to show his willingness to engage with the only legitimate Palestinian authority”.
According to Tajani, the topics of the G7 meeting in Capri will be Gaza, Iran-Israel and the Red Sea.
“We will work on this in Capri, as the Prime Minister will do. Italy, with its Western tradition, can play a leading role. Italy’s leadership of the G7 is an opportunity for everyone to achieve peace”.
