Italy suspends defence cooperation deal with Israel

Italy has suspended the automatic renewal of a defence cooperational agreement with Israel, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Tuesday. 

Meloni announced the decision while speaking to reporters during a visit to a wine fair in Verona. 

"In light of the current situation, the government has decided to suspend the automatic renewal of the defence agreement with Israel," the premier said, as quoted by Italian news agencies. 

She was referring to a framework for defence cooperation between the two countries that came into force in April 2016, and is renewed every five years. 

The deal includes the exchange of military material, as well as cooperation on military training and technological research and development. 

Sources told Ansa, Italy’s leading news agency, that Defence Minister Guido Crosetto wrote a letter to Israeli counterpart Israel Katz informing him of the suspension.

Meloni took the decision on Monday with her foreign and defence ministers, Antonio Tajani and Guido Crosetto, as well as Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, a source told Reuters.

Italian peacekeepers attacked

While Meloni’s right wing government has been a close ally of Israel in Europe, it has in recent days been critical of Israeli attacks on Lebanon. 

Last week, the Italian government said Israeli forces fired at a convoy of Italian UN peacekeepers in Lebanon. 

'I came to Beirut to convey to President Aoun Italy's solidarity following the unacceptable attacks by Israel'

- Antonio Tajani, Italian defence minister

At least one vehicle was damaged, though there were no injuries. Italy summoned Israel’s ambassador in protest against the attack. 

On Monday, Tajani visited Lebanon and condemned Israeli attacks. 

“Lebanon is a brother country that we hold in our hearts. That is why today I came to Beirut to convey to President Aoun Italy's solidarity following the unacceptable attacks by Israel against the civilian population,” the foreign minister said. 

“The government will do everything possible to achieve peace and put an end to the suffering of the Lebanese people. We must avoid at all costs another escalation like the one in Gaza.”

In response to Tajani’s comments, Israel summoned Italy’s ambassador to the country.