Italy has suspended its defense agreement with Israel, involving military equipment exchanges and technology research, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and diplomatic sources confirmed on Tuesday, April 14th.
Tensions have risen since Rome accused Israeli forces of firing warning shots at a convoy of Italian UN peacekeepers in Lebanon last week.
Meloni spoke on the sidelines of an event in Verona, according to Italian news agencies ANSA and AGI:
“In view of the current situation, the government has decided to suspend the automatic renewal of the defense agreement with Israel.”
Approved in 2006 and reviewed every five years, the pact mandated cooperation in defense industries, military training, R&D, and information technology.
