Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has publicly confirmed she faces a complaint at the International Criminal Court (ICC), accusing her of “complicity in genocide” due to Italy’s weapons support to Israel amid the war on Gaza. The complaint also names Defence Minister Guido Crosetto, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, and Leonardo CEO Roberto Cingolani.
The October 1 filing, signed by about 50 law experts and public figures, argues that Italy’s supply of lethal arms makes the government complicit in alleged war crimes and genocide against Palestinians. This comes after a UN Independent Inquiry declared Israel’s Gaza campaign a genocide, echoing assessments by multiple human rights and legal experts.
Italy has been among the few countries exporting “major conventional arms” to Israel from 2020-2024, including helicopters, naval guns, and components for F-35 jets. While the Defence Ministry says deliveries followed pre-existing contracts with assurances they would not target civilians, criticism continues over the potential misuse of these weapons.
Meloni’s comments come amid massive pro-Palestinian protests across Italy, with labor unions and dockworkers threatening strikes over Israeli interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla delivering aid to Gaza. Earlier, the Italian navy had briefly accompanied the flotilla but withdrew before Israeli forces detained around 500 international activists.
The legal challenges against Italy join a growing global scrutiny of Israel’s actions in Gaza. The ICC already has outstanding arrest warrants for Israeli leaders Netanyahu and Gallant for war crimes, while South Africa has filed a case at the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of violating the 1948 UN Genocide Convention. Meanwhile, the US—Israel’s largest arms supplier—has pushed back against ICC proceedings and imposed sanctions on Palestinian human rights organizations engaged in ICC investigations.
