Baghdad, Head of the National State Forces Alliance, Ammar al-Hakim, called for a comprehensive ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. The Alliance said in a statement: "Al-Hakim met in his office today with the Italian Ambassador Maurizio Cricanti on the occasion of the end of his duties in Iraq as head of his country's mission, wishing him success in his upcoming tasks." During the meeting, the two sides reviewed the developments of the political scene in Iraq and the region, as well as the bilateral relations between Baghdad and Rome. Al-Hakim explained "the nature of the current stability and the importance of transforming it into permanent stability, and we affirmed our support for Al-Sudani's government and its practical steps in the field of construction, development, reconstruction, providing services, and activating productive sectors such as agriculture and industry," stressing "the importance of benefiting from Italy's experiences in industry and agriculture, and we called for strengthening bilateral coop eration between the two countries and exchanging expertise in all fields." Regarding the Gaza crisis, Al-Hakim said that "the world is required to take a position towards what is happening in Gaza to stop the death machine surrounding innocent people for more than ten months and to stop the escalation in the region, which will not remain confined to its regional geography. Al-Hakim called for: "A comprehensive and permanent ceasefire, the entry of aid, the return of the displaced, the reconstruction of the city, and the reining in of the Israeli occupation government, which only deals with a policy of killing, terrorism, and intimidation." Source: National Iraqi News Agency