Italy says imposed strict restrictions on arms exports to Israel amid regional tensions

“After the start of the Israeli operation in the Gaza Strip, the government immediately suspended the issuance of all new licenses for the export of military materials to Israel. Thus, all contracts signed after October 7 were not executed. All export licenses issued before October 7 were analyzed on a case-by-case basis,” Meloni said in the Italian parliament on Tuesday.

Italy’s position of a complete block on all new export licenses is much stricter than that of France, Germany and the United Kingdom, the prime minister added.

Meloni noted that Italy is assessing licenses issued before October 7 and taking action if there is a risk that military “material could be used in the current crisis”.

Israel has continued a brutal offensive on Gaza following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7 last year, despite a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.

Nearly 42,400 people have since been killed, mostly women and children, and over 99,000 injured, according to local health authorities.

The Israeli onslaught has displaced almost the entire population of the Gaza Strip amid an ongoing blockade that has led to severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine.

Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.