Italian govt tells Israel: ‘Enough with the attacks’ in Gaza

ROME: Italy’s government on Saturday upped its exhortations to Israel to stop deadly military strikes in Gaza, with Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani saying: “Enough with the attacks.”

“We no longer want to see the Palestinian people suffer,” Tajani said during a trip to Sicily, in remarks relayed by his spokesman.

“Let’s come to a ceasefire, let’s free the hostages, but let’s leave people who are victims of Hamas alone,” he was cited as saying.

Gaza rescuers say 10 killed as Israel announces new operation

Israel’s military has announced it is in the “initial stages” of a new offensive in Gaza aimed at defeating Hamas.

Israel resumed its offensive in Gaza on March 18, ending a two-month truce in its war against Hamas triggered by the group’s October 2023 attack.

More than 100 people in Gaza were killed in Israeli strikes on Friday and another 10 on Saturday, according to the Gaza civil defence agency.

International condemnation has escalated over Israel’s military actions, and its blockage of humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip, where more than two million people lived before the war started.

Israel’s army said the goal of its latest offensive is to “seize control of areas within the Gaza Strip”.

It may be noted that Israel’s airforce killed at least 146 Palestinians in new attacks on Gaza over the past 24 hours and injured many more, local health authorities said on Saturday, as the country appeared set to press ahead with a new ground offensive.

Israel’s military also said it killed a local Hezbollah commander today (Saturday) in south Lebanon, where authorities reported one dead in the fourth Israeli strike within days despite a November ceasefire.