Israel
February was another complex month for Israel, marked by attempts at mediation with Hamas for the release of hostages and increasing pressure from the United States, and a growing portion of the international community, for a ceasefire in Gaza. The death toll among civilians continues to rise, and the humanitarian situation of the displaced is increasingly concerning. Various plans have been presented to negotiators from the USA, Egypt, and Qatar to mitigate the situation. Hamas has repeatedly demanded, in addition to the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for a varying number of hostages, the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Strip. Predictably, Israel has always refused to withdraw, calling the conditions proposed by the Islamist movement "insane." Negotiations have continued throughout the month. President Biden, who had hoped for a solution by March 4, expressed hope for a possible agreement before the start of Ramadan on March 10. According to some news leaked and reported by the media, after a meeting held on February 23 in Paris, a possible plan would involve the release, in a first phase, of 40 hostages, including women, children, female soldiers, the elderly, and the sick, during a six-week ceasefire. In exchange for the hostages, Israel would release 400 Palestinian prisoners. Meanwhile, fighting has intensified in the south of Gaza and resumed in some areas of the north. It is also largely known that the Israeli government intends to conduct military operations in Rafah to dismantle the last Hamas battalions. Matthew Miller, spokesman for the U.S. State Department, commenting on this plan, reiterated that the United States "will not support any military campaign in Rafah" if Israel does not provide adequate explanations of what will happen to the people currently in the area. Meanwhile, the office of the Israeli Prime Minister announced that the IDF has presented a plan for the evacuation of Palestinian civilians from Rafah and the operational strategy for the attack. The statement does not provide details on how or where the displaced will be transferred.
Internationally, Tel Aviv has faced numerous criticisms. On February 8, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Israel for the fifth time since the beginning of the conflict in Gaza. Blinken reaffirmed Israel's right to defend itself and the unwavering support of the USA for its ally but also expressed extreme concern about actions and rhetoric, including by government officials, "that inflame tensions, jeopardize international support" and Israel's own security. Some of his final statements sounded particularly harsh: "Israelis were dehumanized in the most horrific way on October 7. Hostages have been dehumanized since that day. But this does not authorize dehumanizing others." American reprimands continued throughout the month, and Biden, in the harshest tones ever used with the historical ally, described Israeli operations in Gaza as "over the line."
The head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, has also intervened several times, concerned about the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Regarding Biden's comment, he stated that to avoid the death of too many civilians in the Strip, sending fewer weapons to Israel would be enough. In the following days, he announced that 26 of the 27 EU countries are calling for an immediate humanitarian pause "that may lead to a sustainable ceasefire" and must coincide with the unconditional release of hostages and the provision of humanitarian aid. Italy has also taken a more critical stance towards Tel Aviv. Already on the morning of February 13, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani declared in an interview that "at this point, Israel's reaction is disproportionate, there are too many victims who have nothing to do with Hamas." Then, the Parliament approved a commitment "to support every initiative aimed at calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire."
It is difficult to predict the outcome of the mediation for the release of hostages and a ceasefire, as both parties in conflict seem to lack flexibility in negotiations. Yet, a truce is inevitable, especially given the strong pressures Israel is facing, which have increased after the death of 100 Palestinians who had attacked humanitarian aid trucks just arrived in the Strip.
The facts are still to be ascertained, but the IDF is accused of firing at the crowd – an accusation rejected by Israel – and the international community calls for an independent investigation. Meanwhile, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris has declared that there must be an immediate ceasefire, and Benny Gantz, leader of the National Unity Party and member of the current Israeli war cabinet, is about to travel to Washington for talks with the Biden Administration.
Download the February 2024 report
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| Head of state | Isaac Herzog |
| Head of Government | Benjamin Netanyahu |
| Institutional Form | Parliamentary Republic |
| Capital | Jerusalem (the capital city is recognised by United States, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Guatemala and Honduras. The other countries of the United Nations have their embassies in Tel Aviv) |
| Legislative Power | Unicameral Knesset (120 Members of Parliament) |
| Judicial Power | Supreme Court |
| Ambassador to Italy | Alon Bar |
| Total Area kmq | Around 22.000 km2 |
| Land | 21.643 km2 |
| Weather | Temperate-tropical climate, very sunny with two different seasons: a rainy winter period from November to May, and a dry summer season for the other six months. |
| Natural resources | wood, potassium, copper, natural gas, phosphates, clay and sand |
| Economic summary | An economy based on a free and technologically advanced market, but It’s a bit restricted by an unequal income and a high price of housing and necessities |
| GDP | $487 billion (December 2021) |
| Pro-capite GDP (Purchasing power parity) | $39.913 (December 2021) |
| Exports | $113.87 billion (2020 est.) |
| Export partner | US 27.7%, China 9.12%, Palestine 6.57%, India 3.23%, Turkey 2.96% (2020) |
| Imports | $96.53 billion (2020 est.) |
| Import partner | China 13.2%, Turkey 6.86%, Germany 7.52%, Italy 4.08%, Netherlands 3.74% (2020) |
| Trade With Italy | $4.61 billion (2021) |
| Population | 8.914.885 |
| Population Growth | +1,44% (2022 est.) |
| Ethnicities | Jewish 74.9%, and an Arabic minority about 20% |
| Languages | Hebrew (the official language) and Arabic (with a special status) |
| Religions | Jewish 73.4%, Islam 17.8%, Christianity 1.9%, Druze 1.4%, other religions 4.4% |
| Urbanization | 92,8% (2022 est.) |
| Literacy | 97,8% |
Established in 1948, Israel is located at the southeastern end of the Mediterranean Sea. The country is bordered to the west by the Mediterranean Sea, to the north by Lebanon, to the northeast by Syria, to the east by Egypt and the Gulf of Aqaba, to the east by the West Bank and to the southwest by the Gaza Strip. With a population of over 9 million living on a territory measuring 22,072 sq. Km, Israel is one of the most densely populated countries in the Mediterranean Basin. The official language is Hebrew, while Arabic has a special status.
Since its creation and until the early 2000, Israel has been involved in various conflicts with neighbouring countries. Relations with some of these remain complex to this day. The signature of the 2020 Abraham Accords between Israel, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco and Sudan has normalized relations between the five countries. Israel had previously signed peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan, in 1979 and 1994 respectively.
Israel is a key state in the Near East, both from a geopolitical and economic point of view. It has a very developed market economy, with a strong specialization in the high-tech sector, and deep relations with Western and European countries.
Total trade with Italy stood at about $ 4.6 billion in 2021. The recent discovery of offshore gas fields in the Israeli territorial waters has heightened the country’s relevance in the regional energy market. As a consequence, the main Italian companies in the sector are exploring possibilities to establish partnerships with Israel. The two countries also share an interest in the space sector. As part of the Israeli-Italian Initiative, the space agencies of both countries are developing an innovative observation satellite that will operate in the field of environmental protection.
