Meloni: Irresponsible flotillas are creating difficulties for us. Schlein: You are the ones who are with Netanyahu.

She calls everyone to responsibility, especially "Italian parliamentarians." Giorgia Meloni, speaking from New York, where she is attending the UN General Assembly, comments on the new attack on the Flotilla , the mission headed to Gaza to deliver aid to the Palestinian population. "All this is gratuitous, dangerous, and irresponsible. There is no need to risk one's safety by entering a war zone to deliver aid to Gaza that the Italian government could have delivered in a matter of hours," the prime minister commented, reiterating what she said in recent days.

And she added during the press briefing: "I'm not stupid: what's happening in Italy isn't intended to alleviate the suffering of the people of Gaza, but to attack the Italian government. I find it objectively irresponsible to use the suffering in Gaza to attack the government."

Meloni "firmly condemns the attack on the Flotilla, which we are investigating," but she is addressing the parliamentarians on board—including Democrats Arturo Scotto and Annalisa Corrado , AVS MEP Benedetta Scuderi , and 5S Senator Marco Croatti —who "are paid to work in the institutions. If the issue is aid, that could have been delivered safely. We cannot risk people's safety for initiatives that further embarrass the government instead of providing concrete help. We are willing to recognize Palestine, but not to recognize Hamas," Meloni reiterated to reporters in New York. "When the opposition says no to our motion, what exactly are they saying? That they don't want the hostages released? What does Hamas want for the future of Palestine?" she asks. "Our proposal combines the two needs: applying pressure and providing clear indications on the future state of Palestine." And again. If the Flotilla's intention is to enforce a naval blockade in a war zone, this entails other choices. I ask the opposition forces: in that case, do you think Italy should send its navy ships and declare war on Israel to protect these people? I expect a very clear response from the opposition leaders who have their parliamentarians aboard the ships. I want a serious response, because we're not playing bocce ball; there's a war and we must be serious." Democratic Party secretary Elly Schlein responded: "I tell Meloni that it's irresponsible to have dragged Italy along with Netanyahu's positions." "A patriot in reverse," added Giuseppe Conte , leader of the Five Star Movement.

The prime minister then announced that Minister Tajani "is working on another mediation proposal, which involves delivering this aid to Cyprus, to the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which will assume responsibility for its delivery," the prime minister continued. "It's a proposal that I believe has the consensus of the Cypriot government, the Israeli government, and obviously the Italian government. We're waiting for a response from the flotilla. And here I truly appeal to everyone's responsibility, because we can't risk people's safety by taking initiatives that seem primarily designed not to deliver aid, but to create problems for the government."

Meloni then turns to the conflict in Ukraine. "The word provocation is correct, because these are provocations. I think it's very important to think calmly, because an escalation only benefits Putin and Russia, who are objectively in difficulty," she says regarding Moscow's recent incursions into the skies of NATO member states. "I think we must do everything we can to avoid falling into these traps and these provocations. It's clear," Meloni points out, "that all over the world, when there's a military aircraft that could pose a threat flying over one's airspace, it's shot down. This is what the rules stipulate," but that doesn't mean an escalation "automatically" begins. Furthermore, she adds, "I think Russia is escalating these provocations, including drones, for two reasons: the first is to prevent European countries from sending anti-aircraft defense systems to Ukraine. The other, quite simply, is that Putin—in my opinion—is trying to divert attention from the failure of the summer offensive," given that "the front hasn't moved" in the Donbass region and beyond. "I believe the rhetoric about escalation with NATO serves primarily to divert attention and public opinion," Meloni concludes.