Meloni in Lebanon: 'Now an Israeli effort is needed, I will call Netanyahu again'

From the humanitarian situation in Gaza to the stabilisation of the Israeli-Lebanese border, via the security of Unifil personnel and the Syrian refugee crisis, to the Italian government's efforts to promote an end to hostilities. A delicate mission in the Middle East, between Jordan and Lebanon. After attending the EU-Gulf States summit and the European Council, today Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni met at 12 noon in Aqaba (where she landed in the late morning) with Jordan's King Abdallah II at the Royal Palace. At 4.30 p.m., she reaches Beirut, Lebanon, where she meets the Lebanese Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, at the Government Palace, Grand Sérail. Finally, at 5.30 p.m., she meets the President of the National Assembly of the Cedar Country, Nabih Berri. Meloni's trip precedes that of Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, who will also visit Israel and Palestine on Monday 21 October. Lastly, Defence Minister Guido Crosetto, in a briefing in parliament on what has happened in Lebanon, starting with the attacks by the Israeli army on the UN Unifil mission's posts, anticipated that after the G7 Defence Ministers' meeting in Naples (18-20 October) he will go to Beirut and Tel Aviv.

In short, the Italian government, also by virtue of its role as President-in-Office of the G7 (a post it will hold until the end of the year), intends to promote mediation with the parties in order to curb escalation. "The premier Meloni - explained the head of the Farnesina - will be in Jordan and Lebanon to speak with our interlocutors who are living this dramatic moment: I will do the same in Israel. Our goal is a ceasefire and the release of the hostages. In the next G7 cooperation," Tajani added, "there will also be an international conference among civilian populations affected by the war to see what more and better can be done for their good".

It begins, therefore, with the pemier's stop in Jordan. With this visit, diplomatic sources explain, 'Italy intends to reiterate its support for a nation that is a fundamental element for the stability of the region. The Jordanian leadership is a valuable interlocutor and is playing a crucial role both in reducing tension and in averting a further deterioration of the situation'. The focus of the bilateral with Abdullah II will be, in particular, the humanitarian situation in Gaza, in which Jordan plays a decisive role in delivering aid to the civilian population. In addition, the two will address the topic of the Jordanian proposal for a "Gaza humanitarian gateway" to address the growing crisis in the Strip, on which they have already had an initial discussion in Cyprus during the Med9 Summit.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni then landed at Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut, welcomed by the President of the Council of the Lebanese Republic Najib Mikati. "I consider it unacceptable to attack Unifil, both sides must guarantee the safety of the soldiers. I am convinced that Unifil must be strengthened. Only by strengthening the mission can we turn the page. We must go back to the original Unifil mission," the PM said in joint statements with Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Mikati after the bilateral meeting in Beirut. "I came here to reiterate Italy's commitment to the ceasefire. Italy with other international partners has proposed a 21-day ceasefire. Mikati and Berri have adhered to the proposal, now an effort is needed on the Israeli side," the premier continued, stressing that the "disappearance" of Sinwar "can offer the window for a new season, a window that must be grasped by the Israeli side". "At the outcome of my visit I will return to call Prime Minister Netanyahu," Meloni concluded.

In the meantime, Crosetto gave some indication of what the Italian strategy on the ground is. "Unifil is a complex mission, with a mandate that is difficult to implement, inadequate rules of engagement, and forces that are not equipped for the current situation of the conflict, but which, as I had repeatedly told the UN, had already been in this situation for some time," he said during the briefing in parliament after the attacks on the Blue Helmets' bases, including over a thousand Italian soldiers. The Head of Defence emphasised Italy's "commitment to support the Lebanese Armed Forces, so that they can assume a greater role for the security and stability of the Israeli-Lebanese border and of the entire country. Italy has always sought to involve several European nations, the United States and other nations and Arab countries in a project of concrete assistance and development of the Lebanese Armed Forces. The initial plan,' Crosetto recalled, 'was to set up an international fund to recruit, train and equip the Lebanese Armed Forces. In this sense, we have been organising a 'donor conference' for months, which is necessary to find the funds to finance these projects. The objective is to work with the Lebanese Defence leadership to identify programmes, activities and initiatives aimed at strengthening the Armed Forces, enabling them to grow in operational capacity, credibility and independence, and removing them from the influence of Hezbollah'.