There must be a swift de-escalation of Israel's devastating 40-day-old war against Hamas in Gaza, Italy's premier Giorgia Meloni told key player Turkey's president Tayyip Erdogan during phone talks on Wednesday, Meloni's office said in a statement.
During the phone talks, Meloni and Erdogan highlighted Italy and Turkey's "close bilateral" ties and "exchanged views on the latest developments in the ongoing crisis," said the statement.
"The prime minister said she hoped for a rapid de-escalation of the conflict, which must not spread to the rest of the region, and underlined the crucial role that Turkey has to play," the statement went on.
Meloni and Erdogan "reaffirmed their willingness to contribute to security and stability during this difficult period in the region," the statement said.
The talks were an opportunity for Italy to underline its support for a diplomatic solution to the conflict and the importance of protecting civilians during the ongoing warfare, the statement said.
Meloni also reiterated Italy's call for the immediate release of over 200 hostages being held in the Gaza Strip by ruling Islamist Palestinian group Hamas after its militants abducted them during the 7 October cross-border attack that killed at least 1,400 people, according to the statement.
Italy also supports humanitarian pauses in the war to allow aid to reach the of the civilian population in the besieged Palestinian enclave, the statement noted.
Meloni informed Erdogan of Italian humanitarian aid arriving in Gaza from Egypt, and of "the possible further assets to be deployed in favour of the civilian population of Gaza", the statement continued.
An Italian hospital ship currently in the Mediterranean is waiting to be allowed to sail to Gaza and Italy is willing to set up a field hospital there and to send doctors to the UAE to treat Palestinian patients, the government has said.
