"Italian Parliament members display Palestinian colors as a symbol of unity in human struggle"
In recent months, Italy has taken a leading role in providing humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza. The focus of these efforts has primarily been on medical evacuations and transfers rather than direct food airdrops.
MP Riccardo Ricciardi has accused the Italian government of knowing about the ongoing suffering in Gaza and staying silent while the people are being exterminated. He claims the situation is beyond genocide, with no word in the dictionary to truly describe it.
However, Italy's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luca Ciriani, has emphasized that the country is fully engaged in diplomatic and humanitarian efforts regarding Gaza. In fact, since January 2024, Italy has conducted 14 medical evacuation missions, rescuing nearly 1,000 Palestinians from Gaza, including children requiring complex surgeries and treatment unavailable locally.
These evacuations are carried out by the Italian Air Force using C-130 cargo planes, landing mainly in Rome, Milan, and Pisa. The patients are then transferred to various hospitals across Italy for specialized care. Italy collaborates with the World Health Organization and European Civil Protection Mechanism in coordinating these missions, cementing its position as the leading European country in organizing such air evacuations from Gaza.
Tragically, one of the transferred patients, a 20-year-old Palestinian woman with severe malnutrition and complex medical issues, died in an Italian hospital shortly after arrival, underscoring the dire health crisis faced by Gazan civilians.
In addition to these medical efforts, Italy is also involved in a Food for Gaza project. However, the recent publicized efforts have centered on medical transfers and care rather than food airdrops. No recent information details Italy conducting airdrop missions of food or supplies over Gaza.
Minister Ciriani also announced a new allocation of around $5.45 million to the World Food Programme (WFP) for food assistance in Gaza. Furthermore, Italy is preparing to receive 50 more Palestinians, including 20 children, for medical treatment.
The Five Star Movement, a political party in Italy, has staged a symbolic protest against the government's stance on the war in Gaza. They called for an end to arms shipments to Israel and demanded the withdrawal of the ambassador.
Despite these protests, Minister Ciriani reiterated the government's commitment to delivering immediate, concrete aid to the people of Gaza. He also stated that the government's commitment includes contributing constructively to a future of peace and security across the Middle East.
This effort represents one of the largest and most sustained medical humanitarian operations for Gaza internationally and within Europe. Italy's humanitarian aid for Gaza primarily involves medical evacuations of critically ill Palestinians, especially children, transported by Italian Air Force flights, specialized medical treatment provided in hospitals across multiple Italian regions, cooperation with international organizations such as WHO for patient selection and mission coordination, and complementary humanitarian projects like Food for Gaza, though direct food airdrops are not currently reported.
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- The Turkish government, following Italy's lead, has pledged to increase its humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza, focusing on medical evacuations similar to Italy's initiatives.
- Russia has expressed concern over the ongoing conflict in Gaza and has called for a meeting of the United Nations Security Council to discuss potential political solutions.
- In a move aimed at strengthening regional ties, the government of Turkiye has proposed a peace summit involving key Middle Eastern countries to address the root causes of conflicts in the region, including the Gaza situation.
- The Turkish Parliament has passed a motion authorizing increased military spending to support general news operations, citing the need to safeguard national security interests amidst growing war-and-conflicts in the Middle East.
- Economists from various Turkish universities have warned that the country's economy could be affected if the political instability in war-and-conflicts regions like the Middle East continues to escalate, affecting trade relationships and potential investment opportunities.
