Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni visited Beirut and called for the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, UNIFIL, to be strengthened amid attacks from Israeli forces. Meloni emphasized the importance of maintaining UNIFIL’s impartiality and ensuring the safety of its troops. She is the first head of state to visit Lebanon since tensions between Israel and Hezbollah escalated.
UNIFIL has faced repeated attacks recently, with five peacekeepers injured in incidents involving Israeli troops. Despite demands to move, UNIFIL has decided to maintain its positions and continue monitoring the conflict. The deteriorating security situation has forced UNIFIL to suspend most patrols near the Lebanon-Israel border.
Meanwhile, fighting between Hezbollah and Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon has continued. Hezbollah announced a new phase in its fight against Israeli troops and introduced new weapons. The group launched an attack on Israeli soldiers in Safed and expressed support for Palestinians in Gaza.
The Lebanese Ministry of Public Health reported over 2,000 people killed in Israeli attacks across the country, with more than a million people displaced. The situation remains tense as both sides continue to engage in hostilities. Meloni and Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati stressed the need for a diplomatic solution to the conflict and urged all parties to prioritize peace over violence.
Source
Photo credit www.aljazeera.com