Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Saturday that recognizing a Palestinian state before it is established could be counterproductive.
"I am very much in favor of the State of Palestine, but I am not in favor of recognizing it prior to establishing it," Meloni told La Repubblica.
“I’ve said it to the Palestinian Authority itself and I’ve also said it to Macron: I believe that the recognition of the State of Palestine, without there actually being a State of Palestine, could even be counterproductive to the objective."
"If something that doesn't exist is recognized on paper, the problem could appear to be solved when it isn't," Meloni told the Italian daily paper.
On Friday, Italy's foreign minister said recognition of a Palestinian state must occur simultaneously with recognition of Israel by the new Palestinian entity.
Italy calls for two-state solution
"A Palestinian state that does not recognize Israel means that the problem will not be resolved," Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told a meeting of his conservative Forza Italia party in Rome.
“Italy supports the two-state solution, but the recognition of a new Palestinian state must occur simultaneously with their recognition of the State of Israel. What matters to us is peace, not the victory of one side over the other," he added, as quoted by La Repubblica.
Meloni's comments come after an international statement, which included Italy, condemned Israel's handling of aid in Gaza.
France, Italy, Japan, Australia, Canada, Denmark, and other countries said more than 800 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid and condemned what it called the "drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians."
"The Israeli government’s aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity.
The Foreign Ministry said that the statement was "disconnected from reality and sends the wrong message to Hamas.
"All statements and all claims should be directed at the only party responsible for the lack of a deal for the release of hostages and a ceasefire: Hamas, which started this war and is prolonging it."