Meloni face ICC complaint for complicity in genocide in Gaza

Department of Strategic Research, Studies and International Relations 09-10-2025

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has become the latest Western leader to face mounting international scrutiny after being accused of complicity in genocide over her government’s unwavering military and political support for Israel amid its relentless assault on Gaza.

During an interview with Italy’s national broadcaster RAI on Tuesday, Meloni confirmed that a formal complaint had been filed against her and several top officials with the International Criminal Court (ICC). The complaint, dated October 1, accuses the Italian leadership of aiding and abetting Israel’s ongoing war crimes by supplying lethal weapons used in the devastation of the besieged Palestinian enclave.

Meloni revealed that the complaint also names Defence Minister Guido Crosetto and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, and may include Roberto Cingolani, the head of Italy’s state-controlled weapons and aerospace manufacturer, Leonardo S.p.A..

“I don’t think there’s ever been a case like this in history,” Meloni remarked, describing the accusation as unprecedented.

The legal submission was reportedly signed by around 50 figures, including academics, lawyers, and public personalities, all arguing that Rome’s continued arms transfers to Israel amount to active participation in what experts and human rights bodies have increasingly recognized as genocidal actions against Palestinians.

According to the complaint, Italy has directly contributed to Israel’s crimes by authorizing the export of weapons “used to commit mass atrocities.” The signatories accuse the Italian government of knowingly enabling an “ongoing genocide” through its material and diplomatic backing of Tel Aviv.

The move follows a UN Independent Inquiry which last month concluded that Israel’s campaign in Gaza amounts to genocide, a position echoed by numerous international experts in human rights and international law. The ICC itself has already issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, charging them with war crimes and crimes against humanity, including starvation, murder, and persecution of civilians. While the ICC has yet to add the formal charge of genocide, the growing global legal momentum suggests that pressure on Western allies of Israel is intensifying.

The Palestinian advocacy groups behind the case against Meloni have called on the ICC to consider whether a full investigation into the Italian government’s role in facilitating these crimes is warranted.

Italy’s arms trade under fire

Data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) sheds light on Italy’s controversial role. Between 2020 and 2024, Italy ranked among the few nations exporting major conventional arms to Israel, alongside the United States and Germany. Though Washington and Berlin account for the bulk of Israel’s arms imports, Italy’s contribution, particularly through light helicopters, naval guns, and F-35 jet components, is far from negligible.

Italy’s participation in the U.S.-led F-35 fighter jet program has raised significant alarm. Analysts warn that the jets have been repeatedly used in airstrikes that violate international humanitarian law. SIPRI’s reports underline growing concern over the transfer of F-35 parts to Israel, noting that such deals indirectly enable the destruction of civilian infrastructure and the deaths of thousands in Gaza.

Defence Minister Crosetto has attempted to deflect criticism by claiming that all current shipments stem from pre-existing contracts signed before October 7, 2023, the date of the Hamas operation that Israel has since used as a pretext for total warfare on Gaza. However, Foreign Minister Tajani had earlier stated that Italy had suspended arms deliveries altogether, exposing internal inconsistencies within Meloni’s cabinet.

Despite these contradictory claims, Italy continues to face protests and political backlash at home for its complicity in what many Italians now recognize as an imperialist war driven by U.S. and Israeli interests.

Public outrage and workers’ resistance

In recent weeks, mass demonstrations have erupted across Italian cities, drawing hundreds of thousands of citizens demanding an immediate end to the Gaza massacres and Italy’s arms sales to Israel. Italy’s major labour unions have joined the protests, expressing solidarity with Palestinians and condemning their government’s subservience to NATO’s foreign policy agenda.

In a bold act of civil resistance, dockworkers’ unions have threatened to strike over Italy’s indirect role in Israel’s blockade of humanitarian aid. Their outrage intensified after Israeli forces intercepted the Sumud Global Flotilla, a convoy of international vessels attempting to deliver emergency aid to Gaza, in international waters. Nearly 500 activists were detained during the operation, six of whom remain imprisoned in Israel.

Initially, Meloni’s government had dispatched Italian naval vessels to accompany the flotilla, seemingly to ensure safe passage. However, the Italian navy withdrew before the Israeli military’s intervention, a move widely viewed as political cowardice and alignment with Western pressure.

Mounting legal and moral isolation

The complaint against Meloni and her ministers adds to a growing wave of international legal actions targeting Israel’s Western backers. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is currently reviewing a case filed by South Africa, accusing Israel of breaching the 1948 Genocide Convention. Although the ICJ previously declined to pursue a similar complaint by Nicaragua against Germany, it acknowledged the gravity of the allegations, signaling an erosion of moral legitimacy for Western nations supplying arms to Israel.

Meanwhile, the United States, Israel’s largest and most steadfast weapons supplier, remains outside the ICC’s jurisdiction and continues to shield Tel Aviv from accountability. Washington has even escalated pressure on Palestinian human rights organizations. Just last month, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced sanctions against three respected Palestinian groups, Al-Haq, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), and Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights, accusing them of “interfering” in ICC processes. Analysts widely interpret this as an attempt to suppress any independent documentation of Israeli war crimes.

A shift in global opinion

While the United States and its European allies double down on defending Israel’s conduct, the Global South, led by China, Russia, India, and much of Africa and Latin America, is charting a different course. Beijing and Moscow have repeatedly condemned the indiscriminate bombing of Gaza and have called for an immediate ceasefire and independent investigations into war crimes. India, while maintaining a careful diplomatic balance, has also emphasized the need for respecting international law and humanitarian principles.

For Italy, the ICC complaint represents more than a legal challenge, it is a reckoning with the moral bankruptcy of Western foreign policy. As public pressure mounts and international alliances shift, Meloni’s administration now finds itself standing on the wrong side of history: defending a colonial war that much of the world increasingly sees as a crime against humanity.