Italy resumes Rafah mission, ready to send troops to support ‘peace’ in Palestine
BRUSSELS
Italy resumed its participation in the European Union Border Assistance Mission (EUBAM) at the Rafah crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, Defense Minister Guido Crosetto announced Friday.
Crosetto said the decision was made after consultations with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, following a security assessment by the Joint Operations Command, according to the ANSA news agency.
“The Rafah crossing, on October 14, 2025, in compliance with the Trump agreement, in coordination between the European Union and the parties, will be opened alternately in two directions: exit to Egypt and entry to Gaza,” Crosetto said in a statement.
He authorized the Chief of the Defense Staff, Gen. Luciano Portolano, to order the resumption of the mission “with the same procedures as on Jan. 25,” in coordination with the Foreign Ministry.
EUBAM Rafah aims to provide a third-party presence at the border between Gaza and Egypt and support the border management capacity of Palestinian authorities.
“The Israelis are working to restore the logistical functionality of the crossing’s infrastructure as quickly as possible. Approximately 600 articulated trucks carrying humanitarian aid will flow into Gaza from other (non-Rafah) crossings every day. The passage of personnel will not be limited to serious medical cases, but will be extended to anyone who wishes,” he added.
Separately, Tajani underlined Italy’s readiness to contribute further to peace efforts in the region.
“We can send the Carabinieri (national gendarmerie), we can send army troops. We have Carabinieri who are already in Palestine, so they know the territory. If this request comes, we are ready to do our part to build peace, to build the Palestinian state of the future. We are ready and have been on the front lines for some time now providing humanitarian aid,” Tajani said at a news conference in Rome.
On Sept. 29, US President Donald Trump unveiled a 20-point ceasefire plan for the Gaza Strip that includes the release of all Israeli captives in exchange for around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, a permanent ceasefire, and a gradual withdrawal of the Israeli forces from the enclave.
A second phase of the plan calls for the establishment of a new governing mechanism in Gaza without Hamas’ participation, the formation of a security force comprising Palestinians and troops from Arab and Islamic countries, and the disarmament of Hamas. It also stipulates Arab and Islamic funding for the new administration and the reconstruction of the Strip, with limited participation from the Palestinian Authority.
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