ICC complaint targets Italian PM, ministers for alleged role in Gaza conflict

Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni revealed on Tuesday, October 7, that she has been accused of “complicity in genocide” in a complaint submitted to the International Criminal Court (ICC) regarding Italy’s military support for Israel amid its ongoing war in Gaza.

In remarks broadcast by foreign media, Meloni said the complaint had been filed by a pro-Palestinian advocacy group, which accuses her and other senior Italian officials of complicity in alleged war crimes through the supply of arms to Israel.

According to Meloni, the filing also names Italy’s Defence Minister Guido Crosetto and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. She added that she believes Roberto Cingolani, the head of Italy’s state-controlled defence conglomerate Leonardo, may also have been included among the accused.

“By supporting the Israeli government, particularly through the supply of lethal weapons, the Italian government has become complicit in the ongoing genocide and the extremely serious war crimes and crimes against humanity committed against the Palestinian people,” the authors of the court filing wrote.

The complaint, dated October 1, was signed by around 50 individuals, including law professors, lawyers, and several public figures. The advocacy group behind the initiative has called on the ICC to consider opening a formal investigation into the allegations.

Meloni commented on the unprecedented nature of the case, saying: “I don't think there is another case in the world or in history of a complaint of this kind.”

United Nations investigators have accused Israel of committing genocide in the Gaza Strip, where it has been waging war against Hamas for two years. The ICC has already issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, charging them with war crimes and crimes against humanity, including murder, persecution, and the starvation of civilians. However, neither has been formally charged with genocide.

The current ICC complaint against Meloni and other Italian officials follows mounting international scrutiny of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. The conflict was triggered two years ago when Hamas-led militants carried out the deadliest assault in Israel’s history, killing 1,219 people, mostly civilians.

Since then, Israel’s offensive in Gaza has claimed at least 67,160 lives, according to the Hamas-run health ministry — figures that the United Nations considers credible.

Meanwhile, South Africa has brought a separate case against Israel before the International Court of Justice, accusing it of violating the 1948 UN Genocide Convention.

By Tamilla Hasanova