Italy's Top Diplomat Discusses Developments In Middle East With His Qatari, Saudi Counterparts

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani held separate meetings on Monday with his Qatari and Saudi counterparts to discuss the Middle East.

On his meeting with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Tajani wrote on X that he underscored the importance of the partnership between their two countries, mentioning Saudi Arabia's role in de-escalation in the Middle East.

He said the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip was also among the issues discussed during the talks.

On his meeting with Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Luxembourg, Tajani said he reaffirmed the G7's commitment to peace and stability in the region as well as bringing more humanitarian aid into Gaza through "Food for Gaza," an initiative that aims to facilitate the delivery of food aid, alleviate the suffering of the population and ensure food security in the Gaza Strip.

Israel has waged a brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7 last year, which Tel Aviv says killed nearly 1,200 people.

At least 34,151 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and 77,000 others injured amid mass destruction and severe shortages of necessities.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza's population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza. -