Rome signals possible recognition of Palestinian state tied to hostage release, Hamas removed from power

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni suggested on Tuesday that Italy could recognize a Palestinian state, provided Israeli hostages are released and that the Hamas terrorist organization is excluded from any future political arrangement in Gaza.

"I am not against the recognition of Palestine, but we should set ourselves the right priorities," Meloni told journalists at the UN General Assembly in New York.

“Freeing the hostages and, of course, the exclusion of Hamas from all government processes in Palestine,” she emphasized.

Hamas and its allies continue to hold 48 Israeli hostages in Gaza, including as many as 20 believed to be alive. Still, Meloni reiterated her view that recognizing a Palestinian state now would be premature.

“Personally, I continue to believe recognition for Palestine in the absence of a state with the attributes of sovereignty doesn’t resolve the problem or produce tangible results for the Palestinians,” she argued.

Meloni's right-wing government in Rome is considered one of Israel’s closest allies in the European Union. Unlike France, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, Italy has so far resisted pressure to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state.

In July, Meloni stressed that a “State of Palestine” did not meet the international criteria for statehood, including an effective government and clearly defined borders.

“I am very much in favor of the State of Palestine, but I am not in favor of recognizing it prior to establishing it,” Meloni told the Italian newspaper, la Repubblica.

“If something that doesn’t exist is recognized on paper, the problem could appear to be solved when it isn’t,” she warned.

Meloni has also backed U.S. President Donald Trump’s position that such a unilateral recognition constitutes a major reward for Hamas terrorism following the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on the southern Israel Gaza border communities.

The Italian government’s refusal to unilaterally recognize “Palestine” has been met with anger from Islamists and far-left activists in Italy.

On Monday, tens of thousands of anti-Israel activists took to the streets across Italy, accusing Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians and demanding an end to the war in Gaza. The protesters also demanded that the Italian government impose sanctions on Israel.

The Italian prime minister condemned the riots that caused significant damage at Milan’s central train station, stressing that such destructive actions do nothing to improve the situation in Gaza or the Middle East as a whole.

"(This was) violence and destruction that have nothing to do with solidarity and will not change the lives of people in Gaza by a fraction, but will have concrete consequences for Italian citizens who will end up suffering and paying for the damage caused by these hooligans," Meloni stated.