Italy backs Trump’s ceasefire plan as public demands more help for Gaza

By MOTOKO RICH, JOSEPHINE DE LA BRUYÉRE and ELISABETTA POVOLEDO

Italian lawmakers Thursday passed a motion supporting the ceasefire proposal put forward by President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end the war in the Gaza Strip and insisted on conditions for any eventual recognition of a Palestinian state.

The motions indicated the government’s attempt to bridge the gap with other Western nations while keeping Israel as an ally. Italy’s leaders have hesitated to follow the wave of countries — including France, Belgium and Portugal, along with Britain, Canada and Australia — that have recognized Palestinian statehood in recent months.

But opinion polls show that a vast majority of Italians believe Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and most Italians surveyed are in favor of recognizing a Palestinian state. Tens of thousands demonstrated in support of Palestinians last month; as many are expected to participate in a general strike Friday in support of a flotilla that was intercepted trying to take humanitarian goods to Gaza. Some Italians, including lawmakers, were aboard the boats.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni attacked the trade unions for organizing a strike that would lead to widespread disruptions. “All this brings no benefit to the Palestinian people,” she told reporters Thursday. “On the other hand, I understand that it will bring a lot of problems to Italian citizens.”

Before the vote Thursday, Antonio Tajani, the foreign minister, said that the ceasefire proposal “offered a glimmer of hope for peace” that “could be the turning point that changes the history of the Middle East,” as long as all the key players did their part.

He said Italian diplomacy would do what it could “to support this difficult endeavor.”

The proposal supporting the ceasefire plan easily passed in both houses of parliament as much of the opposition abstained. A proposal to recognize a Palestinian state on the conditions that Hamas release the Israeli hostages and step aside also passed, but most opposition lawmakers voted against it.

Meloni seems to have shifted on the issue of Palestinian recognition. In 2015, she called on the Italian government to move toward recognizing a Palestinian state “on the basis of reciprocity with Israel.”

But in July, as France moved to recognize Palestinian statehood, Meloni said she believed “recognizing the state of Palestine without there being a state of Palestine could actually be counterproductive to the objective.”

Along with Germany, Italy has been a holdout in Europe. Globally, around 150 countries have announced recognition.