Italy’s Meloni says ICC complaint accuses her of Gaza genocide complicity
The complaint, dated 1 October, was signed by around 50 people, including lawyers, law professors, and public figures. It alleges that supplying arms to Israel makes the Italian government complicit in genocide and serious war crimes against Palestinians
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has said she faces accusations of "complicity in genocide" in a complaint filed with the International Criminal Court over Italy's support for Israel amid its attacks on Gaza, according to a report by Al-Jazeera.
She made the remarks yesterday (7 October) in an interview with state broadcaster RAI, marking her first public comment on the situation. Defence Minister Guido Crosetto and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani have also been "denounced," and Roberto Cingolani, head of Italian defence company Leonardo, may have been named.
The complaint, dated 1 October, was signed by around 50 people, including lawyers, law professors, and public figures. It alleges that supplying arms to Israel makes the Italian government complicit in genocide and serious war crimes against Palestinians.
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The Palestinian advocacy group behind the filing is calling on the ICC to consider a formal investigation. Meloni described the complaint as unprecedented, saying, "I don't think there is another case in the world or in history of a complaint of this kind."
Italy was one of three countries to export major conventional arms to Israel from 2020 to 2024, including helicopters and naval guns, and participates in producing parts for F-35 fighter jets, SIPRI data shows. Crosetto said deliveries followed contracts signed before 7 October 2023 and Israel had assured the weapons would not be used against civilians.
The ICC has previously issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over war crimes in Gaza, though not for genocide. Warrants were also issued for Hamas officials, all of whom have since been killed in Israeli attacks. Legal challenges against Israel are also underway at the International Court of Justice, including a case submitted by South Africa under the UN Genocide Convention.
Meloni's comments come as hundreds of thousands protest Israel's war on Gaza, supported by Italy's labour unions. Dockworkers have threatened strikes over the Sumud Global Flotilla blockade, and six crew members remain in Israeli detention.
