“President [of the Council of Ministers] Meloni insisted on the need to immediately cease hostilities given the situation in Gaza which, she underlined, is unsustainable and unjustifiable,” a statement said.

“The conversation also provided an opportunity to reiterate the urgent need to guarantee full and unhindered humanitarian access to the civilian population, reaffirming Italy’s efforts in this regard through the Food for Gaza initiative.

“Thanks to Italy’s commitment, another 50 Palestinian civilians will be welcomed [to Italy], and aid drops will be organised for the population in Gaza.”

Meanwhile, Italy’s President Sergio Mattarella reiterated on Wednesday that the humanitarian situation in Gaza is unacceptable and repeated his call for a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas.

“It is obvious to say that the situation in Gaza is becoming, day by day, dramatically more serious and intolerable,” Mattarella said at the at the Quirinal Palace before parliament’s summer recess.

“We hope that the announced pauses [in the fighting] will be matched by spaces of effective ceasefire.”

The Head of State said the series of Israeli strikes that have caused heavy civilian casualties could no longer be seen as unintended.

“Mistakes were also spoken of after having fired on ambulances and doctors and nurses bringing aid to the wounded, targeting and killing thirsty children in line to get water, killing so many hungry people in line to get food, destroying hospitals, even killing children hospitalised for malnutrition,” he said.

“It’s difficult to see an unintentional repetition of mistakes in such a chain and not recognise obstinacy to kill indiscriminately.

“A condition depicted, symbolically, by the child taken in with his mother to an Italian hospital after losing his father and nine siblings, all of whom were children, in the bombing of his home.”

The president also mentioned the recent Israeli strike on the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza City in which three people were killed.

“The shocking bombing of the Holy Family Parish in Gaza was called a mistake,” he said.

“For centuries, from Seneca to Saint Augustine, we have been reminded that, ‘To err is human, to persist is diabolical.’”

ANSA