Caretaker Defense Minister Maurice Slim met on Monday with his Italian counterpart, Guido Crosetto, and the accompanying delegation at his office in Yarzeh this afternoon in the presence of the Italian Ambassador, Nicoletta Bombardieri. During the meeting, discussions revolved around bilateral relations and the developments in southern Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.
Crosetto affirmed that "Italy is in contact with the international community and regional countries to discuss the situation in Gaza," emphasizing "the importance of joint efforts to alleviate the impact of the conflict and prevent the involvement of other parties, to avoid the situation from escalating." He also emphasized the "necessity of providing protection to innocent civilians." He spoke about the ongoing cooperation between UNIFIL and the Lebanese army, confirming Italy's full readiness to provide more support to the Lebanese army. In turn, Slim emphasized Lebanon's commitment to the safety of UNIFIL and the continued fulfillment of its assigned tasks, noting that the army has been and will remain eager to cooperate to the fullest extent with UNIFIL. He discussed "the crimes committed by the Israeli entity against innocent civilians, targeting vital and residential facilities in Gaza, which constitutes a blatant violation of international humanitarian law."
He warned of "the danger of Palestinians leaving their land, which increases the escalation of the conflict and its expansion."