"The current evaluation is very difficult, and it is only going to get worse in the coming days. Unfortunately, a ground attack is unavoidable. Our diplomacy is seeking to de-escalate the situation." In his remarks to the Chamber of Deputies on the situation in Israel and Palestine, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani used these words. "We have immediately given priority to Italians in Israel," the minister added, "and we are working incessantly. There are approximately 18 thousand Italians living in Israel, approximately a thousand with dual passports are enlisted for military service, and there are ten Italians in Gaza, including a two-year-old girl. Unfortunately, we still have no word of the missing Italian Israeli spouses, who are most likely being held hostage: we will do everything we can to find them and bring them to safety. We believe there are roughly a thousand temporary visitors in Israel; 200 left this morning on military flights, 180 should leave today (yesterday, ed) afternoon on a Neos flight, and we are working to repatriate them all." Tajani emphasized that "there is obviously only one responsible in this crazy spiral of violence, the Hamas attack is a very serious act of aggression that must be condemned without any ambiguity: Israel is a sovereign nation with the right to live in peace and security. I am hopeful that Parliament will send a clear message in this regard”.
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