The dynamics of the attack: direct involvement of Italian military bases

As part of the Israeli offensive along the Blue Line to allow the massing of troops to be deployed in combat against surrounding Hezbollah positions, the IDF struck three UN bases. The first was in Naqoura, UNIFIL mission headquarters, where two Indonesian soldiers were wounded after a Merkava tank fired towards a turret.

Andrea Tenenti, the spokesperson for the UNIFIL mission, said that “there is a lot of damage even inside the bases.” The damages include those caused by Israeli forces in the attack against the UN outpost UNP 1-31 in Labbouneh, located close to the Blue Line where the Italian contingent operates. The object of the gunfire was the entrance to the bunkers in which ITALBATT, the Italian task force, was taking shelter after a drone had flown over the base, causing damage to cameras and communication systems. The third base is UNP 1-32A in Ras Naqoura, where tripartite meetings were held according to UN resolutions before the conflict began.

In the face of such events, the response of the Italian Minister of Defense, Guido Crosetto, was not long in coming. In the press conference on the situation of the Italian contingent engaged in Lebanon held at Palazzo Chigi, Crosetto stated: “The hostile acts carried out and repeated by the Israeli forces against the UNP 1-31 base represent severe violations of the rules of international humanitarian law.”

The Italian response was unanimous and consistent. “Unacceptable” is how Antonio Tajani, the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, described the IDF attack against UNIFIL. The Vice-President of the Council of Ministers continued, “Our soldiers are not Hezbollah militants.” These statements represent Italy’s stance regarding the number of attacks that have recently drawn considerable attention from the international community.

UNIFIL at the center of the MED9 Summit

On Friday, 11 October 2024, the day after the IDF attack, the 11th Summit of the Southern EU Countries (MED9) was held in Paphos, on the island of Cyprus. The MED9 group — composed of Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia, and Spain — benefited from the presence of King Abdullah II of Jordan and the President of the European Commission, Ms. Ursula von der Leyen, critical players in the context of the Middle East crisis. On this occasion, the escalation in Lebanon and the Israeli attacks on the UNIFIL peacekeeping mission were one of the central themes of the summit, drawing the attention of European leaders.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the attacks, stating that what happened “is unacceptable and violates the provisions of UN Resolution 1701”. In her speech, she also referred to the upcoming G7 summit in Naples from 18 to 20 October 2024. The intergovernmental forum is anticipated to have the prerogative to discuss security and defense issues, outlining new initiatives to implement joint efforts supporting LAF.

The Italian position of denunciation was also shared by other countries, including France and Spain, with which Italy drafted a joint statement. In his speech, French President Emmanuel Macron declared: “It is therefore completely unacceptable to see UNIFIL troops deliberately targeted by Israeli armed forces. We condemn them, we do not tolerate and will not tolerate this happening again”. The Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, reinforced Macron’s position, saying that any acts of violence against UN blue helmets must stop immediately. Spain also reiterated how it shares the French call for the international community to suspend sending arms to Israel.

Rome-Tel Aviv tensions: the Israeli response from Netanyahu and Hagari

“We need to have formal and real explanations,” said Crosetto during the press conference on 10 October 2024. IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari responded by stating that “the attacks against UNIFIL bases in Lebanon were a mistake” and reiterated the importance of the alliance with Italy for Israel.

These events provoked a strong reaction from the Italian government and fuelled a growing tension in relations between Rome and Tel Aviv. This culminated on Sunday, 13 October 2024, in a telephone conversation between Prime Minister Meloni and her Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu. Meloni stressed the unacceptability of the attacks against UNIFIL, stating that Italy cannot accept pressure from Israel and that the UNIFIL mission is crucial for maintaining stability in the region.

Netanyahu’s response arrived on 14 October 2024, when he replied on his Twitter account as follows: “The charge that Israel deliberately attacked UNIFIL personnel is completely false. It is exactly the opposite. Israel repeatedly asked UNIFIL to get out of harm’s way.” Netanyahu further added that “Israel is not fighting UNIFIL. It’s not fighting the people of Lebanon. It’s fighting Iran’s proxy, Hezbollah, which uses Lebanese territory to attack Israel. […] Hezbollah uses UNIFIL facilities and positions as cover while it attacks Israeli cities and communities.”

The continuous tensions between the actors on the ground and critical issues at the diplomatic level open up a complex scenario of a dual nature. On the one hand, the future geopolitical picture is uncertain, with potentially destabilizing implications for the entire region. On the other hand, there is an immediate need to implement de-escalation to prevent a full-scale conflict.

The involvement of UNIFIL forces in this crisis raises fears for the safety of UN personnel and the region’s stability. Given the seriousness of the incident, UNIFIL, using multiple statements, reiterated that “the safety and security of UN personnel and property must be guaranteed and that the inviolability of UN premises must be respected at all times.” Implementing de-escalation means ensuring the international presence in the conflict zone, reducing the possibility of a large-scale regional conflict that would benefit no one.

In an interview, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix argued that the UNIFIL blue helmets will remain in their positions. Although, at the moment, decisive diplomatic actions seem distant, a change in the future trajectory is not excluded. Further attacks against UNIFIL international forces could lead the UN to contemplate the troop withdrawal, with potentially serious repercussions for Lebanon’s civilian population’s stability and security. In this hypothetical scenario, the international community might be forced to exert diplomatic pressure on Israel. Consequently, measures such as economic sanctions or freezing military agreements could be applied to reach a compromise that is not detrimental to the whole region.

By Azzurra Bassetti