Israel and militants from the Gaza Strip's Islamist rulers Hamas should "immediately" halt their nine-day-old conflict - in which over 200 Palestinians and 12 people in Israel have been killed - Italy said on Wednesday.
"Italy's priority is to immediately halt the conflict," Di Maio told lawmakers at question-time in the lower house of parliament.
"I can only repeat the need to immediately cease the current military confrontation in order to give back to Israelis and Palestinians the right to peace and security," Di Maio added.
Di Maio's comments came as United States president Joe Biden told Israel's premier Benjamin Netanyahu by phone on Wednesday that he expects "significant de-escalation today on a path to a ceasefire’" but stopped short of demanding an immediate end to the violence.
