Italy ready to send peacekeeping troops in event of Palestinian State formation

7 months ago 25

Italy is considering deploying its peacekeeping forces as part of its strategies to de-escalate the situation in Gaza and if a Palestinian state is created with the support of other nations, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani (Forza Italia/EPP) said on Tuesday.

Tajani’s comments come ahead of the upcoming meeting of G7 foreign ministers in Capri set for 17-19 April, along with a statement that the group would work to prevent the conflict from escalating.

“Our task is to prevent and reassure our public opinions: the Italian government is strongly committed to peace. We are friends of Israel, but we want to work for peace, including the possible deployment of troops if a Palestinian state were to be created with the support of other countries,” Tajani, who is also Italy’s deputy prime minister, said during a forum with Ansa on Tuesday.

Earlier this week, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said all EU members should recognise Palestinian statehood in a coordinated manner without delay, suggesting this as the best way to put an end to the conflict and prevent the war from spreading throughout the entire region.

Ireland, Malta, and Slovenia also announced on 22 March that they were ready to recognise the state of Palestine as the “only way to achieve peace and security” in the war-torn region.

Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czechia, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Sweden are the nine EU member states currently recognising the Palestinian state.

A two-state solution, the ‘sole viable option.’

Reiterating the significance of the two-state solution as “the sole viable option for regional stability,” Tajani stressed Italy’s ongoing efforts to engage in dialogue with the region’s main political actors.

The foreign minister also noted that Italy maintains a strong dialogue with the Palestinian Authority and has invited its new Prime Minister, Mohammed Mustafa, to show “that we want to have a relationship with the only legitimate Palestinian authority”.

According to Luigi Narbone, director of the Mediterranean Platform at the Luiss Guido Carli School of Government, “the idea of sending foreign troops has been a recurring theme in the post-war debate. In reality, it is a very remote hypothesis for the moment”.

Narbone said that for this idea to become a reality, certain political conditions would have to be met, including the resumption of negotiations on the two-state solution and a real commitment from all parties and the international community.

“At the moment, it might be more important to exert all possible pressure to prevent an escalation of the conflict and for the success of the negotiations in Cairo for the ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages,” he explained.

According to Tajani, the themes of the Capri G7 will be “Gaza, Iran-Israel, and the Red Sea.”

“We will work on this path in Capri, as the Prime Minister will do. Italy, with its tradition deeply rooted in the West, can be a protagonist. Having Italy lead the G7 is an opportunity for everyone to achieve peace,” he said.

(Alessia Peretti | Euractiv.it)