Italy's president condemns Gaza starvation and Israel's path to barbarism

Italy’s President Sergio Mattarella has delivered a sharp rebuke of Israel’s conduct in Gaza, calling the refusal to uphold humanitarian law in the besieged enclave “unacceptable”.

Speaking to foreign diplomats during a June 2 address, Mattarella said Palestinians are entitled to a home “within certain borders” and criticised the treatment of Gaza’s population.

“That an entire population, from children to the elderly, is starved is inhumane,” the president said. He also condemned the steady erosion of land meant for the Palestinian Authority, describing it as a grave issue.

Mattarella went further, warning that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories “cannot be presented as a security measure” and instead veers into “a will to dominate” — a path he described as leading to “barbarism in international life”.