Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto has strongly condemned Israel’s attacks on UNIFIL bases in Lebanon, two of which are Italian, adding that the attacks were not mistakes.
On Thursday, Israeli forces targeted and struck three UNIFIL bases in southern Lebanon. Two bases are Italian, while the third is the mission’s headquarters.
“There is no justification for claiming that the Israeli armed forces had warned UNIFIL that some bases needed to be evacuated. I have informed the ambassador to relay to the Israeli government that the United Nations and Italy do not take orders from the Israeli government,” Crosetto told a press conference at Palazzo Chigi.
“The hostile actions carried out repeatedly by Israeli forces could constitute war crimes. These are serious violations of international law, not justified by any military necessity,” the minister added.
After speaking with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant and the Israeli ambassador to Italy earlier in the day, Crosetto reiterated that the Italian government does not believe the justification that the attack was a mistake or an accident. Italy therefore demands “real explanations as quickly as possible.”
As Ansa reported, UNIFIL’s interpretation of the Israeli attack on the UN mission’s bases, according to senior security sources familiar with the Middle East dossier, is that it was aimed at “forcing its withdrawal” to avoid having “unwanted witnesses” to Tel Aviv’s military “future plans” in Lebanon.
Le Monde, citing the French Armed Forces Ministry, reported that France and Italy will convene a meeting of European nations contributing to UNIFIL in response to recent events. The meeting, to be held via video conference, is scheduled for next week, although the exact date has not yet been set.
In the afternoon, the Italian government announced that it had lodged a formal protest with the Israeli authorities, stating that the actions near the UNIFIL bases were unacceptable, a statement from Palazzo Chigi reads.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also spoke to General Messina, Commander of UNIFIL’s Western Sector, over the phone and expressed her strong solidarity with the Italian soldiers in Lebanon as part of the UN mission and the bilateral MIBIL mission.
Meloni reaffirmed the crucial role played by Italian troops in stabilising the region by the United Nations mandate, as stated in the statement issued by Palazzo Chigi. The Italian government remains committed to working to cease hostilities and de-escalation in the region while reaffirming the importance of UNIFIL’s role in southern Lebanon.
(Alessia Peretti | Euractiv.it)
Source: euractiv.com
