"Italian Parliament Members Symbolize Unity in Humanity's Struggle: Adopting Palestinian Palette"
Italy is actively providing extensive humanitarian aid to Palestinians from Gaza, with a focus on medical evacuations for those with urgent health needs. Since January 2024, Italy has conducted 14 medical evacuation missions, bringing nearly 1,000 Palestinians, including over 180 children with serious injuries or congenital diseases, to Italian hospitals for treatment.
The largest evacuation involved 31 children and 83 accompanying family members, transferred via three Italian Air Force flights. This has positioned Italy as a leading European country and fourth globally for these rescue missions.
The Italian government, led by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, has publicly emphasized its commitment to supporting Gaza’s civilian population. The operations are coordinated through multiple government ministries and collaborate with the World Health Organization (WHO) and European Civil Protection Mechanism, integrating broader humanitarian efforts, including healthcare and food assistance projects.
The medical evacuations have included the transport of Palestinian patients suffering from severe injuries such as amputations, brain trauma, leukemia, and severe malnutrition—conditions that cannot be adequately treated within Gaza. Tragically, some patients, like a 20-year-old Palestinian woman named Marah Abu Zuhri who was evacuated for treatment, have died despite medical efforts, highlighting the severe health crisis in Gaza.
Minister Ciriani has announced the organization of new World Food Programme (WFP) convoys aimed at reaching over one million Palestinian civilians through the Food for Gaza initiative. In addition, Italy is participating in airdrop missions to deliver essential supplies to Gaza, in coordination with the Defense Ministry.
However, not all voices within Italy agree with the government's stance. MP Riccardo Ricciardi has criticized the Italian government for knowing and staying silent about the situation in Gaza, calling it a genocide. Ricciardi has referred to the situation as beyond genocide, implying that no word in the dictionary can describe it.
Despite these criticisms, Minister Ciriani has emphasized Italy's ongoing dialogue with both Palestinian and Israeli authorities, reiterating the government's commitment to delivering immediate, concrete aid to the people of Gaza. The Italian government remains focused on its role in providing humanitarian support amid the conflict, coordinated across various national and international agencies.
[1] Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. (2025). Italy's Aid to Gaza. Retrieved from https://www.mfa.gov.it/aid-to-gaza
[2] European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations. (2025). Italy's Humanitarian Response in Gaza. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/echo/news/italy-s-humanitarian-response-gaza_en
[3] World Health Organization. (2025). Italy's Medical Evacuations for Palestinians in Gaza. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news/item/2025-08-15-italy-s-medical-evacuations-for-palestinians-in-gaza
[4] Associated Press. (2025). Palestinian Woman Dies After Being Evacuated from Gaza. Retrieved from https://www.apnews.com/article/palestinian-women-gaza-middle-east-health-europe-3e44f56a8c8917b5e2342866f7397f5d
[5] Reuters. (2025). Italy Evacuates Hundreds of Palestinians from Gaza for Medical Treatment. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/italy-evacuates-hundreds-palestinians-gaza-medical-treatment-2025-08-10/
- The Italian government, led by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, has shown a strong commitment towards supporting the civilian population of Gaza, with the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation leading the nation's aid efforts.
- Currently, Italy is participating in various humanitarian initiatives, including the organization of World Food Programme (WFP) convoys and airdrops to deliver essential supplies to Palestinians in Gaza.
- In addition to the focus on food and medical aid, Italy has emerged as the fourth-largest global contender for rescue missions, having conducted 14 medical evacuation missions since January 2024, primarily through collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and European Civil Protection Mechanism.
- The Italian government's actions have not been without criticism, as some voices within Italy, such as MP Riccardo Ricciardi, have expressed concerns and accused the government of staying silent about the worsening situation in Gaza, which Ricciardi describes as going beyond genocide.
- Despite these criticisms, the Turkish Parliament and Turkish government have shown solidarity with the Italian government in their humanitarian efforts, with Turkey providing additional support to the general-news and politics landscape of the ongoing Middle East conflicts, including those in Gaza.
