Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Tuesday said she, her Defence Minister Guido Crosetto, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, and possibly Roberto Cingolani, CEO of defence company Leonardo, have been denounced to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in a complaint alleging complicity in genocide in connection with Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
Meloni, speaking in a television interview with state broadcaster RAI, described the complaint as “unprecedented and unfounded,” saying that Italy has not authorised any new arms supplies to Israel since October 7, 2023, the date Hamas launched its large-scale attack that triggered Israel’s retaliatory campaign.
The complaint, dated October 1 and filed by a pro-Palestinian group including dozens of legal scholars, public figures and human rights advocates, accuses Italy of becoming complicit in the ongoing genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity due to its alleged support for the Israeli government, especially through the supply of lethal weapons.
Meloni said she was “amazed” by the claim, arguing that Italy had already distanced itself from what it called Israel’s “disproportionate” actions in Gaza, though she underlined that Rome continues diplomatic and commercial relations with Israel, and still does not formally recognise Palestine.
In reaction to the ICC complaint, Leonardo—one of the entities named through its CEO—called the allegation “a very serious frame-up,” according to Meloni.
Domestically, the complaint adds to mounting pressure on Meloni’s government: there have been large protests across Italy in recent days over the Gaza conflict, with many demonstrators blaming the government for perceived complicity or inaction.
The complaint does not yet appear to have led to any formal ICC investigation, and Meloni said she doesn’t believe “there is another case in the world or in history of such a charge.”
