Italy's Meloni calls Israeli attacks on journalists 'unacceptable,' asks for immediate halt

Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Wednesday condemned Israel’s recent attack that killed five international journalists in the Gaza Strip as “unacceptable” and asked for an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East conflict.Speaking at the annual Rimini meeting – organized by the catholic association Comunione e Liberazione – Meloni said the deadly strike represented “an unacceptable attack on the freedom of the press and on all those who risk their lives to report the drama of war."Twenty Palestinians, including five journalists and a firefighter, were killed and several others wounded Monday in an Israeli strike on the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip.The Italian premier recalled Italy’s immediate support to Israel after the Hamas attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, but added it is now “impossible to remain silent in the face of a reaction that has gone beyond the principle of proportionality, claiming too many innocent victims and even involving Christian communities."Meloni called for a ceasefire and the release of hostages by Hamas. She also asked Israel to stop its new occupation plans in the occupied West Bank.The Italian premier’s comments come amid growing international concern over the humanitarian situation in Gaza, where tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed and displaced in ongoing Israeli operations.Humanitarian agencies have warned the enclave is facing famine, with widespread shortages of food, clean water, and medical supplies.Israel has continued its military campaign in Gaza since October 2023, despite mounting international calls for a ceasefire. About 62,700 Palestinians have been killed, the majority of them women and children, according to local health authorities.