Italy to appoint special envoy for Gaza, boost humanitarian aid, says foreign minister

Italy will appoint veteran diplomat Bruno Archi as its new special envoy for Gaza and step up the delivery of humanitarian aid to the war-torn enclave, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Tuesday.

Speaking on the sidelines of a conference organized by his center-right Forza Italia (FI) party, Tajani said Archi, currently serving as Italy's ambassador to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), chaired an operational meeting earlier in the day at the Foreign Ministry.

"This morning there was an operational meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs chaired by Ambassador Archi, whom I would like to appoint as the ministry's special envoy for Gaza," Tajani told reporters, according to Italy's ANSA news agency.

Tajani said Italy was "assessing the situation regarding what can be sent" to Palestinians in Gaza and had already collected hundreds of tons of food supplies for dispatch.

"We will accelerate the distribution of food supplies. Some have already begun to arrive, but it's not all easy — we have to work day by day; we are in the initial phase," he said.

He confirmed that Rome's priority was to increase humanitarian assistance to Gaza following the entry into force of the ceasefire, while ensuring coordination with international organizations and regional partners.

Archi, a seasoned diplomat and former adviser to the presidency of the Council of Ministers, is expected to coordinate Italy's humanitarian response and liaise with international agencies overseeing the reconstruction and relief operations.

Tajani said the Italian government remains "fully committed" to assisting the Palestinian population through "concrete and pragmatic action."