Italy says Israeli response to Hamas 'disproportionate'

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Tuesday there were "too many victims" in Gaza, and that Israel's assault on the Palestinian territory following the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel was "disproportionate."

In an interview on RAI radio, Tajani — whose country holds the rotating G7 presidency this year — strongly condemned the "savage" Oct. 7 attacks and said Israel had the right to defend itself.

But he also said that "at this point, Israel's reaction against the Palestinian civilian population is disproportionate ... there are too many victims who have nothing to do with Hamas."

Tajani distanced himself from comments made last week by Francesca Albanese, an Italian who is United Nations special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, who denied the Hamas attacks were "anti-Semitic."

Israel's Foreign Minister Israel Katz and Interior Minister Moshe Arbel called her online remark "outrageous" and said in a statement Monday that she was now "denied entry to the State of Israel."

Tajani said he did "not agree with a word" of Albanese's statement.

Tajani also rejected statements by some who call the bombardment of Gaza a genocide, but said: "Israel is making a mistake, because the reaction after the horrible attack of Oct. 7 is causing too many civilian victims."

The war was parked by Hamas' Oct. 7 attack, the al-Aqsa Flood operation, which resulted in the deaths of about 1,160 people in Israel, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.

About 250 people were hostage that day, around 130 of whom are still being held captive in Gaza, according to Israeli figures. Israel says 29 of the remaining captives are presumed dead.

Vowing to eliminate Hamas, Israel launched a massive military offensive in Gaza that the health ministry there says has killed at least 28,473 people, mostly women and children.