He waited 48 hours before responding, calling him "a friend" and declaring that he had "great respect" for him. But Israeli President Isaac Herzog did not hide his disappointment at the words spoken by Italian President Sergio Mattarella on the massacres of civilians in Gaza . In particular, Herzog criticized what Mattarella called " insistence on killing indiscriminately ," an expression that, he wrote today in X, "saddened" him. "Israel has no intention of killing indiscriminately," Herzog stated. " We just want to live in peace and security ." A message directed at Rome, to reject an accusation that, according to the Israeli president, fails to take into account the complexity of the ongoing conflict.
Mattarella, during the Fan ceremony last Wednesday, spoke unequivocally: bullets targeted ambulances and medical personnel, children queuing for water or civilians queuing for food, hospitals destroyed, even the "incredible bombing" of the Holy Family Parish in Gaza. It's difficult, according to Mattarella, "to see an involuntary repetition of mistakes in such a chain." " Yes," Herzog admitted today, "mistakes can happen in war, and we are not indifferent to the suffering of Palestinian civilians in Gaza . We are making every effort to improve the situation. We are acting in accordance with international law in almost impossible conditions, unlike our enemy, who openly and proudly violates human rights conventions and laws ."
Mattarella, for Herzog, "was right to say that Israel was brutally attacked on October 7," but Tel Aviv's position remains the same: " There is only one key to ending this tragedy, and that is the release of the hostages held in Gaza . If Hamas truly wanted a better future for the people of Gaza, it would release them immediately." Meanwhile, on the day the largest international operation of airdrops of humanitarian aid on Gaza begins, Italy has also announced its contribution. The "Solidarity Path Operation 2" mission will begin on August 9, as announced by Defense Minister Guido Crosetto.
The operation will involve the Italian Air Force's C-130Js, in collaboration with the Italian Army and in coordination with the Jordanian armed forces.
(Unioneonline)