ATHENS

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has expressed concern over the spread of the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the region, reiterating his call for the international community to intervene and defuse the situation, local media reported on Wednesday.

"All our initiatives are aimed at reducing tension and everything must be done to that end," Tajani told public broadcaster Rainews, referring to the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah along the Lebanese-Israeli border, which spread to Yemen as Houthis recently attacked several ships in the Red Sea.

"It is certainly not easy, but we hope that common sense will prevail among all," he said, urging Iran not to support the Houthis in Yemen and Israel to avoid harming Palestinian civilians while “exercising its right to self-defense.”

Israel has launched relentless air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7.

At least 22,185 Palestinians have since been killed and 57,035 others injured, according to Gaza’s health authorities, while nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack.