Italy stands ready to help train police forces in Gaza and elsewhere in the Palestinian territories, its foreign minister said on Monday, as Rome aims to play a role in stabilizing the Middle East.
"We are ready to train a new Gaza police force, and we are also ready to train a Palestinian police force," Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told a news conference in Rome.
According to a Bloomberg report in late January, the United States sent Italy a proposal to join the International Stabilization Force (ISF) for Gaza as a founding member.
The proposal, which was sent to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s office and the Italian Foreign Ministry, would not require Italian troops to be physically present in Gaza, according to Bloomberg, but would involve Italy following through with training the Gazan police.
Italy to participate in Board of Peace as observer
Tajani confirmed that Rome was ready to participate as an observer in US President Donald Trump's Board of Peace initiative, and Italy had been invited to attend a meeting of the group this week in Washington.
On Wednesday, Italy officially rejected an invitation to join the board, citing constitutional barriers that prevent it from joining international organizations in which different countries operate with unequal levels of power.
Despite the rejection, Tajani reaffirmed that Italy was ready to help with “reconstruction efforts aimed at ensuring peace in the Middle East.”