ITALY’S Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Tuesday she has been accused of “complicity in genocide” in a complaint lodged with the International Criminal Court (ICC) over Rome’s support for Israel’s alleged genocide in Gaza.

This came as the Israelis maintained its offensive in Gaza even as peace talks between Hamas and the Israelis continued at an Egyptian Red Sea resort.

Ms Meloni made the statement during an interview with television company RAI, in the first public comment on the situation, which has not been confirmed by the international court.

The far-right Italian prime minister said Defence Minister Guido Crosetto and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani have also been “denounced” to the ICC.

She also said that Roberto Cingolani, head of Italian weapons and aerospace company Leonardo, might also have been named.

The complaint, dated October 1 and signed by 50 people, including law professors, lawyers, and several public figures, accused Ms Meloni and others of complicity by supplying arms to Israel, according to reports.

It said: “By supporting the Israeli government, particularly through the supply of lethal weapons, the Italian government has become complicit in the ongoing genocide and the extremely serious war crimes and crimes against humanity committed against the Palestinian people.”

The Palestinian advocacy group behind the complaint naming Ms Meloni is reportedly calling for the court to assess the possibility of opening a formal investigation into the charge of genocide against the Italian prime minister.

According to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri), Italy was one of only three countries to export “major conventional arms” to Israel from 2020 to 2024, although the United States and Germany were responsible for 99 per cent of the exports of the larger weapons category, which include aircraft, missiles, tanks and air defence systems.

The major arms that Italy provided to Israel in this period included light helicopters and naval guns, Sipri said.

Italy’s Defence Minister Guido Crosetto has said that Italy is only sending deliveries of arms to Israel under contracts signed before October 7 2023 and that Italy has sought assurances from Israel that the weapons would not be used against civilians in Gaza.

Meanwhile, officials from Israel and Hamas continue to meet at the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh and have reportedly exchanged lists of prisoners and hostages who will be part of an exchange.

At least eight Palestinians have been killed and 61 others injured during Israeli attacks in Gaza today, according to the enclave’s Health Ministry.