Italy has called onIsrael, Iran and its proxies including Yemen's Houthis and Lebanon's Hezbollah to cease hostilities in the Middle East region "where the situation is becoming more and more complicated", underling the leading role Europe must play in the process.
"Like Ukraine, the Middle East region is one of two challenges in which the European Union must play a leading role. We need to reach peace," Tajani told Rome-based Il Messaggero daily on Wednesday.
"It cannot be denied that the situation is complicated. And it is becoming more and more complicated, but we continue to invite everyone, Israel, Iran and its allies such as the Houthis and Hezbollah, to reach a ceasefire". This was stated in an interview with 'Il Messaggero' by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani.
Italy has one of the largest numbers of peacekeeping troops deployed in volatile southern Lebanon on the border with northern Israel, Tajani underlined."
"We have a large contingent in Lebanon in the UNIFIL mission on the border between southern Lebanon and northern Israel",he said.
"There are (over) a thousand soldiers, engaged in a very delicate and highly appreciated peace operation," Tajani stated.
"We also have a small but important contingent in Beirut, so we are directly invested in this crisis. And we are working for stability".
Shia militant group Hezbollah vowed to retaliate against Israel after accusing it of remotely detonating pagers across Lebanon on Tuesday that killed at least nine people across the country including a young child and injured thousands. Nearly 3,000 people were wounded in the attacks, on which the Israeli military has not commented directly.
Israeli Shin Bet security agency claimed on Tuesday that a Hezbollah had tried to assassinate a a former top Israel defence official.
War-ravaged Gaza's Islamist rulers Hamas described the attack as an "escalation" that would lead to Israel’s defeat.
