Italy could recognize a Palestinian state only on condition that all Israeli hostages are released and Hamas is excluded from any government role, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Tuesday.
Speaking from New York where she flew for the United Nations General Assembly, Meloni said international pressure should be on Hamas rather than Israel, because it started the war and is blocking its end by refusing to hand over hostages.
France, Britain, Canada, Australia and Portugal have all recognized a Palestinian state in the past two days. Their moves were borne out of frustration with Israel over its offensive in Gaza and intended to promote a two-state solution, but have angered Israel and its close ally the United States.
The two-state solution – the existence of both Israel and a Palestinian state – was the bedrock of the US-backed peace process ushered in by the 1993 Oslo Accords, but the process has all but died.
Israel’s government has declared there will be no Palestinian state as it fights Hamas in Gaza following its October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that killed about 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies.
Israel has drawn global condemnation over its military conduct in Gaza, where more than 65,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to local health authorities.
