Giorgia Meloni increases his tone against Israel. This Thursday, July 17, the head of the Italian government expressed its indignation after a strike from Tsahal damaged the Catholic church in the Holy Family in Gaza and injured several people, including the parish priest. “Israeli raids on Gaza also strike the Church of the Holy Family. The attacks on the civilian population carried out by Israel for months are unacceptable. No military action can justify such an attitude ”she denounced on X.
This conviction comes in an increasingly tense diplomatic context between Israel and its European allies. At a meeting on Tuesday in Brussels, the European Union’s foreign ministers had chosen to “Keep open” The sanctions options against Israel, without however making an immediate decision. “The goal is not to punish Israel, the goal is to really improve the situation in Gaza”said the head of European diplomacy, Kaja Kallas.
In France, Marine Le Pen also condemned the Israeli raids who touched the Church of the Sainte-Famille. “In the legitimate struggle that Israel is leading in the eradication of Hamas Islamists, the civilian population as well as Christian religious minorities must be protected in the light of international law. Carrying this voice is the role of France ”, estimates the owner of the national rally.
For its part Israel said “Never target” of religious sites in the Gaza Strip and added that the circumstances in which the church was damaged were “” being examined »»… the state expressed its “Deep sorrow” For damage and civilian victims.
War is still raging
On the ground, no tangible advance has been noted concerning the cease-fire negotiations between Israel and Hamas. The indirect talks carried out in Doha stagnate. “No progress has been made so far”On Wednesday a Palestinian source to AFP on Wednesday.
A senior Hamas official also denied the existence of new Israeli proposals concerning a military withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, devastated by more than twenty months of war. At the same time, the Israeli army announced the redeployment of one of its Gaza divisions to the North border with Syria, where it says it wants to protect the Druze minority.
As a reminder, Israel launched a military operation in the Gaza Strip after the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7, 2023, with the aim of destroying the Palestinian organization and released the remaining hostages. Of the 251 people kidnapped in Israel, 58 are still retained in Gaza, 34 of which are declared dead by TSAhal.
