Italy must prepare for the inevitable economic consequences of the Israel-Hamas war, Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said on Saturday.
“The war in Ukraine had already worsened the climate around the world,” the minister said whilst visiting Cephalonia. He was there for a ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of Massacre of the Acqui Division on the Greek island during World War II. German troops on Cephalonia, in September 1943, executed 5,155 Italian prisoners of war.
“That wound that has now opened in the Middle East, which can only aggravate this situation.
“The consequences of wars that seem distant to us will eventually reach the whole world and we must prepare ourselves because, at a time like this, we must not be divided.
“If reason does not prevail, these will be difficult times, which can cause harm and spread the fire far beyond the Gaza Strip.
“Let us prepare to help the weakest part of the country that is most affected by these shocks”.
More immigration checks
One such area with which the Minister is concerned is that of immigration. He warned of the risk of Islamist fighters arriving in Italy with migrants from North Africa.
“It now becomes essential to defend the country’s security and I am convinced that this need will increase in the coming months, both because a new explosion of fundamentalism is possible and because these kinds of phenomena increase the risk of immigration,” Crosetto said.
“At the moment, there is a risk not only of immigration driven by poverty but also of the arrival of people intent on doing harm.
“So, checks must be increased even more because we cannot afford to let in people who come to fight us”.
Crosetto also stressed that the rules of conflict should be followed, in as much as civilians and hospitals are not targeted.
“There is no point in remembering the past if we do not learn from it,” Crosetto said. “History teaches us that, even in war, one can respect, or not respect, human rules – that when the enemy surrenders one respects them and does not kill them, that women, children, hospitals and the civilian community must be kept out.
“We all respond together to terrorism without hesitation, and we do so by remembering that there are values even in war, even against enemies.”
Pro-Palestinian marches in Italy
Marches in support of the Palestinian people took place in several Italian cities on Saturday, including Milan, Turin, Florence, and Bari, after the Israel-Hamas war broke out. Around 3,000 people attended the demonstration in Milan and 2,000 were on the streets of Turin.
Many of the people at both were waving Palestinian flags, and some sang anti-Israel chants. Around 400 people marched in Florence behind slogans that read “With the Palestine that Resists” and “At the Side of the Palestinian Resistance”.
The Italian Parliament has already voted to prevent aid reaching Hamas that could be used for terrorism.
Security to be boosted at sensitive sites
As a result of the Israel and Hamas conflict, Italy will be boosting security at sensitive sites in the country. This follows the murder of a teacher in France on Friday by an Islamist extremist, sources said.
Interior Minister Piantedosi chaired a meeting of the national committee for order and security. During the meeting a list of sensitive sites that are potential targets for attacks and needed bolstered security was discussed, the sources said.
Piantedosi was also updated on the security situation in Italy by intelligence and police officials.
