Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister
Antonio Tajani on Monday met in Jerusalem with Israeli Premier
Benyamin Netanyahu who reassured him about Israeli operations in
southern Lebanon around UNIFIL positions, Italian foreign
ministry sources said.
Tajani called for a ceasefire both in Gaza and in Lebanon, the
sources said.
Tajani said Netanyahu and his Israeli counterpart Israel Katz
carefully listened to "our solution for Lebanon" -
"strengthening the Lebanese army that is already trained by the
Italian contingent at the port of Beirut, the election of the
Lebanese president of the republic and the creation of a UNIFIL
buffer zone with more men and more power and different rules of
engagement between the border and the river, and further north
regular Lebanese troops and even further Hezbollah", after
meeting with the two cabinet members.
He also said he was reassured by Netanyahu and Katz that "Israel
will do everything to guarantee the safety of our UNIFIL
military", adding that he was "guaranteed that there was never
any decision by Israeli authorities against UNIFIL".
Netanyahu for his part confirmed that the death of Hamas leader
Yahya Sinwar was an important result for Israel, although it is
not clear when military operations can end.
Tajani stressed during talks with his Israeli counterpart Israel
Katz in Jerusalem the "need to ensure utmost protection to the
Italian UNIFIL contingent".
"Italy's commitment for de-escalation continues: the objective
is peace in the Middle East.
"The ceasefire and release of hostages remain priorities",
Tajani wrote on X.
During his meeting with Katz, foreign ministry sources said
Tajani stressed the Italian government's support for the release
of hostages still held by Hamas, noting however that, after the
death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in Gaza, "the time has come
to reopen the road to politics and diplomacy", adding he has
"asked the Israeli government to accelerate and help the entry
of humanitarian aid in Gaza".
The foreign minister is undertaking a mission to Israel and the
Palestinian Territories where he also met with Palestinian
Premier Mohammad Mustafa.
During the meeting with Mustafa, Tajani wrote on X he had
stressed that Italy is continuing to work for a two-State
solution and to boost aid for the civilian population in Gaza
and in the West Bank also in the framework of the humanitarian
conference that will open the G7 ministerial meeting on
development in Pescara on Tuesday.
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