Italy has no intention of establishing political or diplomatic contacts with the fundamentalist Palestinian movement Hamas, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said on Monday.
In an interview published by the Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot, Frattini said that ''there is no reason to negotiate with Hamas because the Islamic movement is unable or unwilling to stop terrorist attacks'' against Israel''.
Frattini, who arrives in Israel late Monday for talks with Israeli and Palestinian officials, said that the fragile truce between Hamas and Israel ''is beneficial because it helps the Palestinian people who live in (Hamas-controlled) Gaza''.
''These are women and children who are forced to live under harsh conditions and must pay a heavy price for the terrorism carried out by Hamas,'' he added.
In the interview, Frattini also discussed Iran's nuclear ambitions and said that Italy views this as a ''real threat not only against Israel but Italy as well''.
Iran continues to reject Security Coucil demands for inspections of its uranium enrichment plants.
Tehran claims its nuclear program is peaceful and aimed only at producing electricity but Western nations suspect it is building the an atomic bomb.
''The day that Iran has the (atomic) bomb it will be a threat for Italy, for Europe and for the entire international community,'' he added.
At the same time, the Italian diplomatic chief reiterated his view that any preemptive strike by Israel against Iran ''would be a disaster''.
''I fully understand Israel's concern and the fact that it feels surrounded by enemies. However, an Israeli attack on Iran would be, in my opinion, a disaster,'' Frattini said.
It would principally be a disaster for Israel, he explained, because Iran ''has many military bass spread throughout its vast territory and its military capacity would undoubtedly be unleashed against Israel and other countries in the region''.
According to Frattini, it is up to the United Nations Security Council to decide what action should be taken to reduce the threat posed by Iran.
Frattini meets on Tuesday with Israel President Shimon Peres, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Foregn minister Tzipi Livni and opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu.
On Wednesday he goes to the Palestinian territories for talks with Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad.
