Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said she plans to visit Lebanon on Oct. 18, just days after Israeli forces attacked U.N. bases in the country, drawing anger from many EU capitals, including Rome, Reuters reports.
The U.N. peacekeeping mission known as UNIFIL is stationed in southern Lebanon to monitor hostilities along the demarcation line with Israel -- an area that has seen serious clashes this month between Israeli troops and Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters.
"We believe that the attitude of the Israeli forces is completely unjustified," Meloni told the upper house of parliament, describing it as a "blatant violation" of a U.N. resolution that mandated the Lebanese mission.
Her decision to travel to Lebanon, despite daily attacks on the country by Israel, highlights Italy's determination to support the U.N. operation and underscores Rome's anger with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the issue.
"I understand Israel's reasons for needing to prevent what happened last October 7 from happening again, but that obviously does not mean I agree with all its choices." Meloni said.
Since the start of Israel's ground operation in Lebanon on Oct. 1, UNIFIL positions have been targeted 20 times, including by direct fire and an incident on Sunday when two Israeli tanks burst through the gates of a UNIFIL base, the U.N. has said.
