Italy's Meloni 'not opposed' to Palestinian statehood

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Tuesday she is not opposed to recognising a Palestinian state, on two conditions: that Hamas free all captives and that it be excluded from government.

Italy has not joined recent moves by Britain, France and other European nations to recognise a Palestinian state.

But the far-right prime minister said she was open to recognition, in a break with US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"I'm not opposed to recognising Palestine, but we need to establish our priorities," Meloni told journalists in New York, where she is due to address the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday.

She said her ruling coalition would introduce a motion in parliament setting two conditions for recognising a Palestinian state: "freeing the [captives] and, of course, the exclusion of Hamas from all government processes in Palestine".

But she added: "Personally, I continue to believe recognition for Palestine in the absence of a state with the attributes of sovereignty doesn't resolve the problem or produce tangible results for the Palestinians."

In a break with decades of Western foreign policy, Britain, France, Canada, Australia, and several other countries have recognised a Palestinian state in recent days, a largely symbolic move that has nonetheless added to pressure on Israel as it intensifies its war on Gaza.

The Palestinian territory has been devastated by the Israeli offensive, which has killed over 65,000 Palestinians since October 2023.

Of the 251 captives taken during the 7 October attacks, 47 are still in Gaza, including 25 the Israeli military says are dead.

Meloni has faced criticism in Italy for not speaking out more strongly on the war on Gaza.

On Monday, tens of thousands of people protested in Rome against the war, calling on the Italian government to act.