News- Middle East: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni says she and two of her ministers have been reported to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for purported complicity in genocide in connection with Israel’s genocidal military campaign against Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip.

Speaking in an interview with public television broadcaster RAI on Tuesday, Meloni said Defense Minister Guido Crosetto and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani had been denounced, and “I think” also Roberto Cingolani, the head of defense group Leonardo.

“I don’t believe there is another case like this in the world or in history,” Meloni said.

She did not elaborate on who had brought the case against her and her ministers.

The complaint, dated October 1, was signed by some 50 people, including law professors, lawyers, and several public figures who accused Meloni and others of complicity by supplying arms to Israel.

“By supporting the Israeli regime, particularly through the supply of lethal weapons, the Italian government has become complicit in the ongoing genocide and the extremely serious war crimes and crimes against humanity committed against the Palestinian people,” the authors of the court filing against the Italian leaders wrote.

The Palestinian advocacy group behind the complaint naming Meloni is calling for the court to assess the possibility of opening a formal investigation into the charge of genocide against the Italian prime minister.

Italy has experienced a series of demonstrations in the past week, with hundreds of thousands taking to the streets to protest against the mass killings in Gaza, while many demonstrators have also directed their criticism towards Meloni.

Her right-wing administration, typically a strong advocate for Israel, has recently distanced itself from what it describes as its “disproportionate” military actions in Gaza; however, it has not cut any commercial or diplomatic ties, nor has it acknowledged the state of Palestine.

Meloni said she was “amazed” by the accusation of complicity in genocide because “anyone who knows the situation is aware that Italy has not authorized new, let’s say, arms supplies to Israel after October 7.”

As per information provided by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Italy was among only three countries that exported “major conventional arms” to Israel between 2020 and 2024. However, it is noteworthy that the United States and Germany accounted for 99 percent of the exports within the broader category of larger weaponry, which includes aircraft, missiles, tanks, and air defense systems.

The primary military equipment that Italy supplied to the Tel Aviv regime during this timeframe consisted of light helicopters and naval artillery, SIPRI said.

The institute further noted that Italy is among several nations participating in the production of components for F-35 fighter jets, as part of a US-led initiative.

“Concerns about the potential use of the F-35 by Israel to carry out violations of international humanitarian law have led to much criticism of transfers of the aircraft or its parts to Israel,” SIPRI said in a recent report.

The Israeli military has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since October 7, 2023, dismissing international appeals for a ceasefire, resulting in the deaths of at least 67,173 Palestinians, predominantly women and children.

The unrelenting airstrikes have ravaged the region and caused significant food shortages.

The ICC has outstanding arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former minister of military affairs Yoav Gallant over charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, including starvation, murder and persecution.

However, neither Netanyahu nor Gallant has been charged with genocide specifically.

Source: Press TV