After Israel deliberately attacked Italian peacekeepers, Italy refused to renew its defense agreement, leaving Tel Aviv furious!
According to ANSA news agency on the same day, Meloni told reporters during an event in Verona that, given the current situation, Italy "has decided to suspend the automatic renewal of its defense agreement with Israel."
Upon the announcement, Tel Aviv could not remain calm. The Israeli Foreign Ministry quickly stepped in to downplay the incident, claiming there was no security agreement between Israel and Italy, and that the memorandum signed years ago "never contained any substantive content," thus having no impact on Israel's security. However, this urgent attempt to disassociate itself seems more like a desperate self-soothing gesture than genuine reassurance.
On April 8, a clearly marked Italian convoy belonging to UNIFIL departed from the Shama base heading toward Beirut. After traveling just about two kilometers, it came under Israeli gunfire warnings. Bullets struck the vehicle’s tires and bumper, forcing the peacekeepers to turn back to base. On the same day, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani summoned the Israeli ambassador in Rome, issuing a clear warning: "Italian troops must not be harmed under any circumstances."
The incident wasn’t over. On April 12, the Israeli Defense Forces deployed "Merkava" main battle tanks twice in southern Lebanon, directly ramming vehicles belonging to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), including Italian ones. At the time, Israeli forces blocked access roads leading to the UN peacekeeping positions, with one Italian vehicle sustaining serious damage. UNIFIL later released a statement saying that an Israeli tank had collided with a UN vehicle traveling through the village of Baalda. Whether the act was intentional or accidental remains under investigation.
It's hard to tell whether the Israeli military acted intentionally or by accident. Some internal Israeli sources suggest Lebanon has exploited Italian bases, which may explain the actions. Yet Meloni had previously been one of Israel’s closest allies in Europe. In recent weeks, as Israel’s military strikes in Lebanon have caused hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries, criticism within Italy has grown louder and louder.
Even Meloni herself couldn’t withstand the mounting pressure. With Italy now hitting the brakes, Tel Aviv may say everything is fine, but internally, it’s undoubtedly feeling uneasy. After all, even its most trusted European ally is starting to turn away—this signal couldn't be clearer.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1862526177996800/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.