Italy’s Meloni to visit Lebanon in support of Italian troops deployed there

ROME, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) — Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced on Tuesday that she will visit Lebanon this week, as she presses Israel to ensure the safety of Italian troops stationed in the region amid escalating violence.
Meloni is set to arrive in Lebanon on Friday, though details of the visit remain confidential for security reasons.
Her statements in Italy’s Senate came just days after reports that the United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL) was fired upon by Israeli forces. According to the UN, their base has been targeted at least 20 times since Israel ramped up its attacks on Lebanon earlier this month, though Israel denies intentionally targeting UN forces.
“We believe the actions of the Israeli forces are entirely unjustified,” Meloni said, calling the strikes on UNIFIL “a clear, blatant violation” of a UN resolution aimed at ending the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon.
Last week, Meloni’s office confirmed that during a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, she criticized the attacks.
Addressing Italy’s Chamber of Deputies on Tuesday, Meloni argued against the withdrawal of UN forces, stating that such a move would undermine the “credibility of the UN” as a peacekeeping body.
Italy currently has around 1,000 troops deployed with the UN mission. ■