Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stated on Tuesday that her government has "decided to suspend the automatic renewal of the defense agreement with Israel, given the current situation."
اضافة اعلان
Speaking to reporters during a visit to an exhibition in Verona, Meloni added that the decision was made "in light of current circumstances," as reported by the Italian news agency ANSA. She did not provide additional details regarding the specific nature or duration of the decision.
Last week, the Italian government summoned the Israeli ambassador after announcing that Israeli forces fired warning shots at a convoy of Italian soldiers serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), damaging at least one vehicle, though no injuries were reported.
In a reciprocal move, Israel summoned the Italian ambassador on Monday to protest statements made by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. During a visit to Beirut, Tajani condemned what he called "unacceptable attacks" launched by Israel against civilians in Lebanon, according to an Italian diplomatic source.
Tajani, a senior minister in Meloni’s government, visited Beirut on Monday for talks with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Foreign Minister Yousef Rajji.
Writing on the "X" platform, Tajani stated that his visit to Lebanon was "to express Italy's solidarity following the unacceptable Israeli attacks on civilians." He called for dialogue between Lebanon and Israel and for an "essential and lasting ceasefire," adding, "A repeat of an escalation similar to what happened in Gaza must be avoided at all costs."
AFP
