On Wednesday, August 27, 2025, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni delivered a speech that sent ripples across the international community. Standing before a packed audience at a political conference in Rimini, a city perched on Italy’s Adriatic coast, Meloni condemned Israeli military actions in Gaza as "disproportionate," voicing grave concern over the mounting civilian toll in the nearly two-year-old conflict that began with the Hamas-led attack of October 7, 2023.
Meloni’s address was wide-ranging, but her comments on the Israel-Hamas war were among the most pointed and consequential. She began by reaffirming Italy’s support for Israel’s right to self-defense in the face of the brutal Hamas incursion, which left around 1,200 people dead—mostly civilians—and saw 251 hostages taken into Gaza. "However, at the same time, we cannot remain silent now, in the face of a reaction that has gone beyond the principle of proportionality," Meloni stated, as reported by the Associated Press. She went on to warn that Israel’s continued military campaign was jeopardizing "the historic prospect" of a two-state solution—a vision long championed by the international community as the path to lasting peace in the region.
Her remarks came as the conflict reached a grim milestone. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, more than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed through the end of July 2025. The vast majority of these casualties are believed to be civilians, with the death toll rising sharply as Israeli strikes intensified in recent months. The Israeli government maintains that its military targets only militants and blames civilian deaths on Hamas, asserting that the group operates from densely populated areas and uses civilians as human shields.
Meloni’s condemnation was sharpened by a recent tragedy. On Monday, August 25, five journalists—including a freelance photographer who worked with the Associated Press—were killed in two strikes on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza. The journalists were among 20 people who lost their lives in the attack. Meloni did not mince words, calling the incident "an unacceptable attack on freedom of the press and all those with the courage to risk their lives to recount the drama of war." Her comments echoed growing international outrage over the dangers faced by journalists and aid workers in Gaza, where the lines between combatants and civilians have become perilously blurred.
Against this backdrop of violence and suffering, Meloni made a direct appeal to the international community. She called for "all possible pressure on Hamas until they release the Israeli hostages still held," a reference to the 50 remaining hostages in Gaza, of whom Israel believes around 20 are still alive. At the same time, she urged Israel to halt its military attacks in Gaza, allow the free flow of humanitarian aid, and put an end to the expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank—a practice widely condemned by much of the world as an obstacle to peace.
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached unprecedented levels. The world’s leading authority on food crises reported last week that the territory’s largest city is now gripped by famine, a catastrophe likely to spread across the enclave without a ceasefire and the lifting of restrictions on humanitarian aid. The United Nations and countless aid organizations have repeatedly sounded the alarm, warning that the population faces starvation, disease, and the collapse of basic medical services if the conflict drags on.
Italy, under Meloni’s leadership, has sought to play a prominent humanitarian role in response to the crisis. She emphasized that Italy is "the European country that has taken the biggest humanitarian role in the conflict, treating more Gazans needing medical care than any other non-Muslim country." Since the start of the war, more than 180 children from Gaza have been evacuated to Italy for medical treatment, accompanied by their family members. In total, Italy has brought 917 Palestinians from Gaza to safety and care on its soil—a figure that underscores the scale of the Italian response compared to other European nations.
Meloni’s speech in Rimini was notable not only for its criticism of Israel’s conduct but also for its balanced approach. She was careful to reiterate Israel’s right to defend itself after the horrors of October 7, when Hamas militants stormed across the border, killing and kidnapping indiscriminately. Yet, she made it clear that the ongoing Israeli response—marked by relentless airstrikes, ground operations, and a blockade that has choked off vital supplies—has "gone beyond the principle of proportionality." The implication was unmistakable: the world must not turn a blind eye to the suffering of Palestinian civilians, even as it condemns the violence of Hamas.
Her call for a renewed push toward a two-state solution was a plea for hope amid despair. "The continued attacks are putting at risk the historic prospect of a two-state solution," Meloni warned, suggesting that every day of bloodshed makes the dream of peace more remote. The expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank, she argued, only compounds the challenge, eroding the possibility of a viable Palestinian state alongside Israel.
The response to Meloni’s remarks has been mixed. Some in Europe and beyond have welcomed her willingness to speak out against what they see as excessive use of force by Israel, praising her insistence on upholding international law and humanitarian principles. Others have criticized her for not going far enough, arguing that stronger measures—including sanctions or diplomatic pressure—are needed to halt the violence and bring about a ceasefire. Meanwhile, supporters of Israel have pointed to the ongoing threat posed by Hamas, insisting that Israel has no choice but to act decisively against a group they describe as a terrorist organization bent on its destruction.
The broader context is one of deepening polarization. As the war grinds on, the international community finds itself torn between the imperative to combat terrorism and the moral duty to protect innocent lives. Meloni’s speech captured this tension, acknowledging the complexity of the conflict while urging all sides to recommit to the principles of humanity and restraint.
For those caught in the crossfire—civilians in Gaza, hostages and their families, and the countless aid workers and journalists risking everything to bear witness—the stakes could not be higher. Meloni’s intervention may not change the course of the war overnight, but it adds a significant European voice to the chorus calling for an end to the violence, the release of hostages, and the resumption of meaningful peace talks. As the world watches and waits, the hope is that words will soon be matched by action, and that the suffering of so many will not have been in vain.
