(Adnkronos) – Italy stands ready “to do its part” to bring enduring peace to war-ravaged Lebanon, foreign minister Antonio Tajani said on Friday as a ceasefire reportedly began between Israel and militant Shia group Hezbollah as part of a cessation of hostilities on all fronts called for in the interim peace deal signed by the United States and Iran this week.
“We must work to finally transform the ceasefire into a genuine state of peace, because there is still much work to be done in Lebanon, where the situation remains unresolved,” Tajani said on the sidlines of an event at the foreign ministry to promote safe travel abroad.
“Italy is ready to do its part in Lebanon, just as, if necessary, we will be ready to do our part to protect freedom of navigation. We will see what happens once this ceasefire is consolidated,” Tajani went on.
The 14-point memorandum of understanding signed on Wednesday between the US and Iran states that the two sides have agreed to the “immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon”.
The MoU adds that both sides will commit to ensuring the “territorial integrity and sovereignty of Lebanon”.
But the MoU does not mention Israel, the US’s co-belligerent in the 14-week war against Iran, which currently occupies one-fifth of Lebanon and has carried out near-daily strikes on it since early March, killing at least 3,000 people and forcing over a million from their homes.
In a major test of the US-Iran deal’s durability, violence flared overnight between Israel and Hezbollah, with Lebanese state media reporting that at least 18 civilians were killed in Israel’s deadliest attacks since the MoU was finalised, while Israel said four soldiers were killed in an at attack on a tank.
Israel has stated several times this week that it will not withdraw from Lebanon. Given that Israel and Hezbollah are not parties to the MoU ending the war with Iran, observers say it is not clear how any ceasefire in Lebanon would implemented, and whether the agreement means Iran must stop funding Hezbollah. The MoU does not mention Iran’s support for proxy groups in the Middle East.
