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October 18, 2024 – 5:43 p.m.
(Keystone-ATS) Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni arrived in Beirut on Friday. She is the first head of state or government to visit Lebanon since the intensification of Israeli strikes on the country at the end of September.
Ms. Meloni, whose country is the second largest contributor to the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL), and which also holds the rotating presidency of the G7, was welcomed at Rafic Hariri airport in Beirut by his Lebanese counterpart Najib Mikati, according to his services.
According to Italian sources, Ms. Meloni met the Italian commander of the Italian Bilateral Military Mission in Lebanon (Mibil) which provides material support and provides training for the Lebanese army.
Last week, UNIFIL – in which 10,000 peacekeepers are deployed – accused Israeli troops of “repeatedly” and “deliberately” firing on its positions. Five peacekeepers were injured and the mission’s positions suffered “a lot of damage”, according to the same source.
Meloni told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday that “attacking” the UN peace force in Lebanon was “unacceptable” in a telephone interview.
Ms. Meloni arrived in Beirut from Jordan where she met King Abdullah II with whom she discussed “joint efforts aimed at a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of Israeli hostages,” according to a statement from its services.
The two leaders reiterated the need for “a political process that would lead to a two-state solution,” according to the same source.
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