LONDON: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas agreed during a phone call on Tuesday that Hamas must release all Israeli hostages and accept that it has no future in governing the coastal enclave of Gaza.

Meloni expressed concern over the Israeli decision last week to occupy Gaza, describing the humanitarian situation there as “unjustified and unacceptable,” and calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities.

She highlighted Italy’s commitment to humanitarian aid, such as the Food for Gaza initiative, airdrops and the evacuation of more than 150 Palestinian children needing treatment, the Wafa news agency reported.

She added that Italy is ready to assist in stabilizing and reconstructing Gaza, and highlighted the importance of a political process for a just, lasting peace in the Middle East through a two-state solution.

The two leaders agreed to meet in New York City on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in September, a highly anticipated occasion where several countries have pledged to recognize the state of Palestine, including France and Canada.

Abbas has previously said that Hamas will not govern Gaza and should surrender its weapons to the Palestinian Authority. He has highlighted the need for “one system, one law and one legitimate weapon” in the Palestinian territories.

Neither Hamas nor Palestinian Islamic Jihad are part of the Palestine Liberation Organization, and both groups have long rejected calls to join what the majority of Palestinians consider their sole political representative since the 1960s.