Italian minister blasts Muslim protesters' prayers

"Enough with pro-Hamas marches now," said Riccardo De Corato. "Milan is not a province of Gaza and has no intention of reluctantly instituting this type of 'Gaza Saturdays.'"

Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's center-right coalition, which includes the hardline anti-immigrant Northern League, has clashed with Italy's Muslim community in the past.

It irked Muslims last year with plans to block the construction of new mosques in Italy.

Protests against the Israeli offensive continued in Italy on Sunday, with 3,000 people marching through the center of Naples. Another 1,000 held hands to form a human chain and march through Rome's historic center to demand an end to violence in Gaza.

(Editing by Katie Nguyen)