Italy's foreign minister met with his Iranian counterpart in Rome Monday, stressing that Israel's response to rockets fired from Gaza should be "proportionate," the ministry said. Italy's Luigi Di Maio expressed "strong concern" over the escalation of violence between Israel and Palestinians in his meeting with Mohammad Javad Zarif, the foreign ministry said in a statement. Zarif is on a European tour and has been in Rome since Sunday, where he has been meeting Italian and Vatican officials, including Pope Francis, to discuss international issues and bilateral relations. "Condemning the rocket launches from Gaza and hoping that Israel's response would be proportionate, he (Di Maio) reiterated the call for the parties to immediately adopt de-escalation measures and show responsibility," read the statement. ams/jz