Key Takeaways
- Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani officially labels Hamas a terrorist organisation.
- Turkey’s President Erdogan defended Hamas, prompting Italy to consider summoning the Turkish ambassador.
- Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini called Erdogan’s remarks disgusting and urged a formal protest.
Rome: Italian Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani said on Wednesday that Rome considers Palestinian movement Hamas a terrorist organisation.
He intends to study the request to summon the Turkish ambassador following the recent statement by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
On Wednesday, Erdogan said that Hamas was fighting for the liberation of the Palestinian people. Italian Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Matteo Salvini called Erdogan’s statement disgusting. He also noted that he intends to invite Tajani to send an official protest and summon the Turkish ambassador.
“I will listen to Salvini’s request, I will talk to him to understand what his proposals are, but one thing is for sure – for Italy, Hamas is a terrorist organisation,” Tajani was quoted as saying by Italian news agency Askanews.
On October 7, Palestinian movement Hamas launched a surprise large-scale rocket attack against Israel from the Gaza Strip. Israel launched retaliatory strikes and ordered a complete blockade of the Gaza Strip, home to more than 2 million people, cutting off supplies of water, food and fuel. The escalation of the conflict has resulted in thousands of people killed and injured on both sides.
