Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced that she and two of her ministers have been charged with complicity in genocide in connection with Israel’s offensive in the Gaza Strip.
During an interview with state television RAI, cited by Do Rzeczy, Meloni revealed that the same lawsuit sent to the International Criminal Court (ICC) was also filed against Defense Minister Guido Crosetto, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and the executive director of the state-owned arms company Leonardo, Roberto Cingolani.
According to AFP, a Palestinian human rights organization is behind the complaint.
“I don’t think there’s another case like this in the world or in history,” the Italian prime minister said.
Meloni said she was “astonished” by the accusations of complicity in genocide because “anyone who knows the situation knows that Italy did not authorize new arms deliveries to Israel after October 7.”
Her right-wing government has recently distanced itself from the offensive in Gaza but has also stated that considering a Palestinian state at this time is “counterproductive.”
This morning, Meloni posted on X, thanking U.S. President Donald Trump for his successful first phase in bringing peace to Gaza.
“The agreement reached in Egypt for the implementation of the first phase of President @realDonaldTrump‘s Peace Plan is extraordinary news that paves the way for a ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all hostages, and the withdrawal of Israeli forces along agreed lines,” she wrote.
“Italy will continue to support the mediators’ efforts and is ready to contribute to the stabilization, reconstruction, and development of Gaza,” she also wrote.
Meanwhile, it was also reported yesterday that Meloni’s party, the Brothers of Italy, has proposed a law that would effectively ban the burqa and niqab in public spaces. The same people, touted as part of the battle to combat “Islamist & cultural separatism,” would force disclosure of funding for mosques, with any funds sent from abroad intercepted if deemed a “threat to Italian values.”
