Italy’s Meloni to visit Lebanon after Israeli attacks on UN peacekeepers

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced Tuesday that she will go to Lebanon amid growing fears for United Nations peacekeepers in the country.

In a speech to the Italian Senate, Meloni decried Israel’s recent attacks on the international forces in Lebanon. Italy is Europe’s largest contributor of troops to those forces, and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said they will remain in the region despite attacks on peacekeepers.

“I am already scheduled to go to Lebanon, and Minister Tajani is preparing to go to Israel and Palestine next week,” Meloni said.

Five peacekeepers with the UN mission in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, have been wounded in attacks since Israel launched a ground invasion against the Hezbollah militant group earlier this month.

Italy has 1,000 troops deployed in UNIFIL and in a separate mission known as MIBIL, which trains local armed forces, making it the second-largest contributor after Indonesia.

“Even if there have been no casualties or extensive damage, I think that Israel’s attack on UNIFIL cannot be considered acceptable,” Meloni told the Senate.

“We believe that the attitude of the Israeli forces is completely unjustified,” she said, calling it a “blatant violation of U.N. Resolution 1701,” which aims at ending hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel.

Meloni reiterated her support for Israel’s right to live in peace and security, but stressed that it must be enforced in compliance with international humanitarian law. She said Italy has approved €17 million in new funding to help Lebanese people displaced since hostilities excalated.

On Saturday, 40 countries contributing to UNIFIL condemned the recent Israeli attacks on the mission and called for an investigation of the incidents.

“Hands off Italian soldiers, they are not Hezbollah militants,” Tajani said on Saturday.

Meloni’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on when the visit will take place.