UN Mission in Lebanon Needs Different Rules of Engagement, Says Italy

12 October 2024, Lebanon, Qliyaa: United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL) peace keeping troops from the Spanish contingent conduct an early morning patrol in the southern Lebanese village of Qliyaa. Israeli forces attacked UNIFIL bases in south Lebanon wounding two soldiers. Photo: Stringer/dpa

The 16 EU countries contributing to the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, UNIFIL, believe its rules of engagement need to be more effective, an Italian defense ministry statement said on Wednesday.

The European Union allies also think pressure must be applied to prevent any more attacks by Israeli forces on UNIFIL positions, the statement said.

According to Reuters, the Italian readout followed a call between the defense ministers of the 16 countries, taking place days after Israeli attacks on UN bases in Lebanon, and ahead of a Friday visit to the country by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

The statement said a "key point that emerged from the meeting was a shared willingness to exert maximum political and diplomatic pressure on Israel so that no further incidents occur."

It also said "that Hezbollah cannot use UNIFIL personnel as shields in the context of the conflict".