Italy's deputy FM accompanies relief aid shipment to Gaza

Italy's Deputy Foreign Minister Lapo Pistelli Tuesday accompanied a planeload of humanitarian aid to people in the war-ravaged Gaza Strip in a tour to the Middle East, including Iraq and Israel.
The plane carrying 30 tonnes of blankets, tents, generators, water purifiers, and sanitary kits worth a total of 350,000 euros left from a United Nations base in the southern city of Brindisi, Italy's Foreign Ministry said in a statement Tuesday.
The statement added that the material would be handed over to the United Nations in Tel Aviv, which will be distributed to women, children, and the elderly of Palestinians, who have been under Israeli aggression for nearly four weeks.
Pistelli added that Italy is waiting a permanent ceasefire and is making its solidarity with the Palestinian people, who are paying the worst consequences of the ongoing hostilities.
The diplomat would inspect conditions of Christians who have been displaced from their homes in Mosul, he said, adding that this diplomatic mission would stress that "Europe security depends on Iraq stability".
Meanwhile, Italian Democratic Party welcomed Tuesday that Israel is ready to consider a proposal of deploying international peacekeeping forces on Gaza Strip borders.