Italian Politician Giorgia Meloni Condemns Israeli Raids on Civilians in Gaza as Unjustifiable
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has strongly condemned the ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, following a raid on the Catholic Church of the Holy Family in Gaza this morning. The attack resulted in two deaths and six injuries, two of them serious, according to reports from the Wafa news agency.
Father Gabriel Romanelli, a 56-year-old Argentine of Italian origin, who is the parish priest of the Catholic Church of the Holy Family in Gaza, was among those injured in the raid. He has lived in the Middle East for 30 years and is currently receiving treatment in the hospital.
In a statement responding to the raid, Meloni described the Israeli attacks as unacceptable due to their impact on the civilian population. She believes that no military action can justify attacks on civilians and expressed her condemnation of the attacks again on social media.
The timeline of Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip since October 2023 to mid-2025 reflects cycles of intense conflict, ceasefires, and resumed hostilities with significant casualties and international responses. The recent history of Israeli attacks on Gaza has been marked by brutal escalations, failure of ceasefires, and significant casualties and displacement on the Palestinian side.
International bodies have condemned actions suggesting possible war crimes or genocide, and diplomatic efforts, including ceasefire proposals, have been complicated by ongoing hostilities. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in January 2024 called on Israel to prevent genocide in Gaza amidst human rights concerns, and UN experts warned in May 2025 about the possibility of Israel’s actions amounting to the "annihilation" of Gaza’s population.
According to Gaza officials, the March 2025 Israeli airstrikes alone killed over 400, and since then, total Palestinian deaths in Gaza exceeded 4,201. Israeli casualties include deaths during rescue operations, such as Israeli officer Arnon Zamora on June 8, 2025.
The UN has warned that the ongoing Israeli attacks on Gaza could lead to a humanitarian crisis, with over 632,000 Palestinians displaced and around 80% of Gaza facing restricted access due to Israeli sieges. There have also been hundreds of casualties from attacks on aid convoys under controversial humanitarian distribution schemes.
The recent attack on the Church of the Holy Family in Gaza serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing violence and the need for a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Gaza.
The average number of casualties from Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 2023 has been alarmingly high, with general news outlets reporting over 4,201 Palestinian deaths and isolated instances of crime and justice, such as the recent attack on the Church of the Holy Family, highlighting the dire need for politics to prioritize a peaceful resolution to war-and-conflicts like this one. International bodies, including the United Nations and the International Court of Justice, have repeatedly expressed concern over possible war crimes and genocide, underscoring the urgency of diplomatic efforts towards ceasefires and a long-lasting solution to the crisis.
