(see related)
(ANSA) - ROME, OCT 23 - Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister
Antonio Tajani on Monday called for a "humanitarian pause" in
hostilities between Hamas and Israel to make it possible for aid
to enter the Gaza Strip.
"We are in favour of humanitarian pauses to enable supplies to
enter Gaza," Tajani said on his way out of the European Foreign
Affairs Council.
"The majority of (EU) member countries support this.
"A truce, however, is something else.
"It cannot entail Israel giving up its self defense and ceasing
to attack Hamas while Hamas and Hezbollah continue to launch
rockets at Israel.
"A humanitarian pause concerns the protection of the Palestinian
people.
"At the moment, a truce risks protecting Hamas".
He said there was agreement at the EU level on the need to
achieve "two States" for "two peoples" in order to "give the
Palestinian people a outlook to end the war. "We all agree on
this," Tajani said.
"There were different nuances but I think there is unanimity
among the European Union countries on the need to work
concretely to achieve this goal
"We will see how to achieve unity among all the EU countries and
then make an impact". (ANSA).
Tajani calls for 'humanitarian pause' in Gaza
Minister stresses Israel cannot forego its 'self defence'