ROME - Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on Wednesday called for an immediate halt to Israel's bombing campaign in Gaza, condemning the attacks as "unacceptable".

During a briefing to the lower house of Parliament on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Tajani stated: "These innocent deaths wound our values and outrage our consciences." He acknowledged Israel's right to respond to terrorism but criticized the scale and impact of its military actions: "The legitimate reaction of the Israeli government to a terrible, senseless act of terrorism is taking on dramatic, absolutely unacceptable forms."

Tajani stressed the need to uphold international humanitarian law, urging an immediate end to the bombing and the swift resumption of humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza.

He also firmly rejected the idea of displacing Palestinians from the territory. "The expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza is not and will never be an acceptable option," he declared.

"The only viable path to peace, and the inalienable goal, remains the launch of a political process leading to two states coexisting in peace and security," he noted.

Before concluding his remarks, Tajani requested a minute of silence in memory of the innocent Israeli and Palestinian civilians who have lost their lives in the conflict.