Unacceptable

Italian prime minister calls Israeli attacks on peacekeepers "unacceptable" in call to Netanyahu

From CNN's Barbie Latza Nadeau in Rome

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has condemned the Israeli military’s strikes on UN peacekeeping bases in southern Lebanon, including a hit on a base where around 1,100 Italian troops are stationed.

Meloni’s office said Monday she called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday to condemn the attacks. During the call she “reiterated that it is unacceptable for UNIFIL to have been attacked by Israeli armed forces, recalling that the mission works on the basis of a Security Council mandate to help with regional stability. She stressed that the safety of UNIFIL personnel must absolutely be guaranteed at all times,” according to a statement posted on the government’s website.

“Meloni renewed Italy’s commitment in this regard, expressing her conviction that full application of Resolution 1701 can contribute to stabilization of the Israel-Lebanon border and guarantee that all displaced persons can return home.”

Meloni also highlighted what she called the “urgent need” for de-escalation in the region.

On Friday, Meloni, speaking in a televised interview, said: “The attacks on UNIFIL are unacceptable.”

The prime minister’s comments come after Italy’s Defense Minister Guido Crosetto summoned the Israeli ambassador to Rome to lodge a formal complaint last Thursday, calling the attacks on UNIFIL bases “a war crime.”

UNIFIL said in a statement that five of its 10,000 peacekeeping forces had been injured since Israel started bombing southern Lebanon and that 15 suffered smoke inhalation-related distress in an incident Sunday. “Despite putting on protective masks, fifteen peacekeepers suffered effects, including skin irritation and gastrointestinal reactions, after the smoke entered the camp,” UNIFIL said.

Israel has accused Hezbollah of operating in areas near UNIFIL posts.