We're friends of Israel but de-escalation needed says Tajani

(ANSA) - ROME, FEB 14 - Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on Wednesday reiterated his call for a de-escalation of the situation in Gaza, a day after saying Israel's response to the October 7 massacres has become disproportionate because it is causing too many civilian victims.
    "We are friends of Israel, we strongly support Israel's right to defend itself, and not to be attacked," Tajani told Rtl 102 radio.
    "No one can erase it from the map.
    "On October 7th there was a Jew hunt by Hamas, not a military attack, the videos I saw were unbelievable.
    "We say that the reaction must be proportionate, we say 'be careful not to cause too many civilian victims'.
    "De-escalation is in the general interest.
    "We must support the dialogue in Egypt to have a suspension of combat and the hostages to be freed.
    "(Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu is certainly taking the hard line," he continued.
    "There are tens of thousands of civilian victims.
    "Hamas is using the Palestinian people as a shield.
    "They want Israel to have a tougher reaction so they can say, 'look, let's isolate Israel'.
    "This is Hamas's plan.
    "We must not fall into Hamas's trap.
    "We say carry out targeted attacks and try to reduce the harm to the civilian population.
    "But this has nothing to do with Israel's right to attack Hamas.
    "The question is not its right to defend itself, but the civilian victims". (ANSA).