“Stop the Genocide Now”: Italian Politicians Protest at Egypt-Gaza Border Against Israeli ‘Massacre’ and Aid Blockade
Gaza (Quds News Network)- Members of the European and Italian Parliaments protested on Sunday in front of Egypt’s Rafah border crossing with Gaza, calling for humanitarian aid access and an end to the genocide in the Palestinian territory.
“Europe is not doing enough, nothing to stop the massacre,” MEP Cecilia Strada told AFP.
The group – including 11 Italian MPs, three MEPs and representatives of NGOs – held signs reading “Stop genocide now”, “End illegal occupation” and “Stop arming Israel”, according to the agency.
“There should be a complete embargo on weapons to and from Israel and a stop to trade with illegal settlements,” Strada said.
The protesters laid toys on the ground in solidarity with Gaza’s children.
The United Nations has warned that children in Gaza face “a growing risk of starvation, illness and death.” At least 15,000 children have been killed in Gaza since the Israeli war began in October 2023, according to the UN.
“We hear the bombs right now,” Walter Massa, president of Italian non-profit organisation Associazione Ricreativa Culturale Italiana, told AFP near the crossing.
“The Israeli army continues to do what it believes is right in the face of an international community that does not intervene, and in Gaza, beyond the Rafah crossing border, people continue to die,” he said.
On Saturday, Italy’s government reiterated its calls to Israel to stop attacking Gaza, with Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani saying: “Enough with the attacks.”
“We no longer want to see the Palestinian people suffer,” Tajani said.
Since March 2, Israel has maintained the closure of Gaza’s main crossings, cutting off food, medical and humanitarian supplies, leading to an unprecedented deterioration of humanitarian conditions, according to reports by human rights organisations who have accused it of using starvation as a weapon of war against Palestinains.
Israel also resumed its genocide in Gaza on March 18 after violating the ceasefire aggresment signed in January, killing over 2,900 Palestinians and wounding more than 8,100—mostly children and women, according the Palestinian Health Ministry.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report, issued earlier this week, warned that almost a quarter of the civilian population would face catastrophic levels of food insecurity (IPC Phase Five) in the coming months.
The Israeli military said extensive attacks have been launched in the “opening moves” of operation “Gideon’s Chariots”, which will see forces “seize controlled areas in the Gaza Strip”.
Thousands of Palestinians have also fled areas in northern Gaza amid indiscriminate air strikes that have killed at least 400 people in the territory over the past 72 hours.
