Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is facing an unprecedented legal challenge, with a complaint lodged at the International Criminal Court accusing her of “complicity in genocide” over Italy’s military support for Israel in Gaza.
The complaint also names Defence Minister Guido Crosetto, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, and potentially Roberto Cingolani, head of Italy’s Leonardo aerospace and defense company. The filing, signed by roughly fifty academics, lawyers, and public figures, claims that supplying weapons to Israel has implicated Italy in serious war crimes and crimes against humanity against Palestinians.
Meloni addressed the situation publicly for the first time in a televised interview, acknowledging the gravity of the accusations. “I don’t think there is another case in the world or in history of a complaint of this kind,” she said, highlighting the extraordinary nature of the legal action against her government.
The complaint comes as the war in Gaza draws mounting international attention. A UN Independent Inquiry recently described Israel’s campaign in Gaza as genocide, a finding supported by a range of human rights and international law experts. The ICC already holds arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes, though neither is charged with genocide. Previous warrants against Hamas officials named in similar filings have largely been nullified after targeted killings by Israel.
Italy has been among the few nations exporting “major conventional arms” to Israel between 2020 and 2024, including light helicopters and naval guns, alongside contributions to the production of F-35 fighter jets. While the U.S. and Germany account for the bulk of arms transfers, Italy’s involvement has drawn scrutiny, especially over concerns that the equipment could be used in ways that violate international humanitarian law. Italian officials have maintained that shipments were limited to contracts signed before October 2023, and assurances were sought that weapons would not target civilians in Gaza.
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The allegations against Meloni emerge amid a surge of public protests across Italy. Hundreds of thousands have taken to the streets condemning Israel’s operations, backed by major labor unions. Dockworkers threatened strikes over the interception of the Sumud Global Flotilla, a humanitarian mission to Gaza. Italy’s navy initially accompanied the fleet but withdrew before Israeli forces detained nearly 500 activists, leaving six crew members in custody.
The ICC complaint now places Meloni’s government in a delicate legal and political position, balancing Italy’s defense contracts, international obligations, and a public increasingly vocal over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The case underscores the complex entanglement of national policy, arms exports, and accountability under international law, marking a historic moment for Italy on the world stage.
