Meloni on a phone call with Netanyahu voiced her condemnation of Israel’s attack on UNIFIL and demanded implementation of 1701.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni slammed Tel Aviv’s attack on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) as “unacceptable” in a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday.
“Prime Minister Meloni reiterated that it is unacceptable for UNIFIL to have been attacked by the Israeli armed forces,” a statement by the Italian prime minister’s office read.
Meloni stressed during the conversation with Netanyahu that the peacekeeping force is mandated by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) “to contribute to regional stability,” and should be protected at all times, Anadolu news agency reported.
She reportedly emphasized to her Israeli counterpart the importance of the “full implementation” of UN Security Council resolution 1701, which she said, will stabilize the borders between the two countries and “secure the return of displaced people to their homes.”
According to the statement, Meloni also reiterated her country’s full commitment to “de-escalate tensions in the region”.
Netanyahu Wants UNIFIL Out
Netanyahu called on Sunday for the immediate withdrawal of the UN peacekeeping force from southern Lebanon.
In a televised address, he urged UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to remove UNIFIL forces from areas he described as “Hezbollah strongholds and combat zones,” claiming that this was necessary to prevent putting them in danger.
Netanyahu said that the Israeli military had repeatedly requested the withdrawal of UNIFIL, but the request had been denied, claiming this decision “provided a human shield” to protect Hezbollah fighters.
The Israeli prime minister expressed regret over injuries to UNIFIL personnel and asserted that Israel is making efforts to prevent such incidents.
Netanyahu Urges UNIFIL Withdrawal from Lebanon – Israeli Forces Breach UNIFIL Position
“We regret the injuring of UNIFIL soldiers and we are doing everything in our power to prevent this injuring,” Netanyahu said. “But the simple and obvious way to ensure this is simply to get them out of the danger zone.”
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, however, rejected Netanyahu’s call, reaffirming Lebanon’s commitment to UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and UNIFIL’s role in southern Lebanon.
Mikati urged the international community to take a firm stand against Israel’s ongoing aggression, asserting that Netanyahu’s demand to remove UNIFIL is another example of Israel’s failure to comply with international legitimacy.
Mikati further accused Netanyahu of displaying hostility toward UNIFIL forces, which have been operating in southern Lebanon for decades.
UNIFIL at Serious Risk
The United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, voiced at a UN Security Council session on Lebanon on Thursday the “serious risk” peacekeepers confront in Lebanon amid Israel’s war on the country, Anadolu news agency reported.
The UN official revealed during the session that the “safety and security” of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) is “now increasingly in jeopardy” due to the Israeli attacks on Lebanon.
Peacekeepers in Lebanon at ‘Serious Risk’ – World Reacts to Israel’s Attack on UNIFIL
Lacroix’s declaration came after two UN peacekeepers were injured on Thursday when Israeli forces fired at the headquarters of UNIFIL in south Lebanon where Italian troops are stationed.
According to Lacroix, much of southern Lebanon, which he said is also a “UNIFIL’s area of operations, is now uninhabited and increasingly uninhabitable” due to Israel’s intense bombardment which he attributed to “Israel’s stated aim is the return of inhabitants to their northern communities after one year of fear, one year of displacement.”
(PC, Anadolu)
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