Italian Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani has spoken to Israel’s Israel Katz and Lebanon’s Abdallah Bou Habib seeking “to avoid a new war” in the Middle East.
“Breaking the spiral of violence is possible,” the Italian Foreign Minister said on X, adding that the Italian government was committed to peace and stability in the region, including through Italy’s presence in the UNIFIL contingent.
“[The UN] 1701 is crucial,” he added, referring to the UN resolution adopted in 2006 to bring an end to the war between Israel and Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon.
That is when UN peacekeepers were deployed to monitor a ceasefire along the 120km (75-mile) demarcation line, or Blue Line, between Israel and Lebanon.
To both of his counterparts, Tajani “(reiterated) Italy’s request for an immediate ceasefire and de-escalation throughout the region”.
“To Minister Katz, I expressed the government’s deep condolences for the vile attack on Majdal Shams, which tragically took the lives of innocent young people,” he said.
“To Minister Bou Habib, I confirmed the Italian government’s commitment to the Lebanese institutions, whose stability is key for the entire region,” Tajani said.
“We are committed to supporting the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), at a bilateral and multilateral level, promoting an international aid programme that can allow them to be strengthened and better equipped.”
Antonio Tajani
Tajani also called for “respect and protection” for the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, which includes 1,000 Italian soldiers.
Tajani’s conversation with Katz and Bou Habib comes after a rocket attack Israel blamed on Hezbollah killed 12 youngsters in the Israel-occupied Golan Heights.
The Lebanese group has denied responsibility.
Hezbollah has been targeting Israel in support of Palestinians since the Gaza war erupted, but the conflict has been largely contained in the border region.
Even though Hezbollah has denied responsibility for the Golan Heights attack, Israel is still expected to target the militant group in Lebanon.
There is a fear that the Hezbollah response to the Israeli attack might prompt an all-out war.
Netanyahu Visits Attack Site
Also on Monday, Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu visited the site of a deadly rocket attack in the town of Majdal Shams in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
Scores of residents of Majdal Shams protested at Netanyahu’s visit which came as the twelfth child killed in the rocket attack was buried on Monday, July 29, 2024, with hundreds of Druze men and women gathering for the funeral
“Like all Israeli citizens, and I must say like many around the world, we were deeply shaken by this horrific killing,” Netanyahu said during the visit to Majdal Shams.
“These children are our children. … The State of Israel will not, and cannot, let this pass. Our response will come and it will be severe.”
Benjamin Netanyahu
He reiterated that Lebanon’s Hezbollah was behind the attack that killed 12 youth despite the armed group’s denial of any involvement.
He told the Druze community of the region not to lose hope “in the face of the acts of harassment by the evil axis of Iran and Hezbollah.”
“Hezbollah will pay a price … the actions will speak for themselves,” Israel’s Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant told grieving families.
Meanwhile, US National Security Council Spokesperson, John Kirby said that Israel has every right to retaliate for the attack on the occupied Golan Heights that Israel blamed on Lebanon’s Hezbollah group.
He added, however, that the US does not believe the response needs to result in escalation.
Kirby told reporters that the concerns of an all-out war are “exaggerated,” and added, “There’s no reason for that outcome to occur.”
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