The Italian government has expressed solidarity with Israel and confirmed its plans to work with international partners, including Lebanon, pledging continued support for the country’s security to prevent the conflict from escalating.
The Italian government’s solidarity with Israel was immediate, with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (Fratelli d’Italia/ECR) calling Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to express sympathy with the Israeli people and, in particular, with the families of the victims, hostages and wounded.
Government sources report that the Meloni government will work with international partners to coordinate support for Israel. “Italy stands by the Israeli people”, reads a note from Palazzo Chigi.
“There are fears of escalation, but we are working to prevent this from happening. We are supporting all initiatives to prevent a widening of the confrontation beyond the borders of Israel and Palestine”, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani (Forza Italia/EPP) said.
Italy is also concerned about what is happening in Lebanon as Meloni had a telephone conversation Monday with Lebanese Republic Prime Minister Najib Mikati in which he reaffirmed Italy’s willingness to “continue to contribute” to Lebanon’s security and stability at this “delicate juncture”.
In a statement, the government said that the two leaders also discussed the migration emergency and the issue of Syrian refugees in Lebanon.
“At the moment, there are no signs of an imminent attack in Lebanon (…) We are following minute by minute the development of the situation. There is a lot of tension”, Tajani explains.
“We are working together with the U.S., France, Germany and Britain so that there is no escalation, without prejudice to Israel’s sacrosanct right to defend itself because it has suffered an inhuman attack against the civilian population, not only against the military”, the minister added.
Over 1,000 Italians are deployed in Lebanon as part of UNIFIL (United National Interim Force in Lebanon), while the Foreign Ministry is working to help Italians stranded in Israel, organising several flights for those who wish to return home.
(Federica Pascale | Euractiv.it)
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