Minister Crosetto in Israel for meeting with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant

Yesterday, October 28, the Italian Minister of Defense Guido Crosetto he met, at Jerusalem, his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant. The meeting is part of a wider initiative, launched by Minister Crosetto with the G7 Defense, and continued meeting his counterparts of Saudi Arabia and TurkeyDuring the meeting, the two defense ministers analyzed in detail the situation in Gaza and southern Lebanon, stressing the need for create the conditions for a lasting solution that ensures the stability of the entire Middle East.

During the meeting, Minister Crosetto reiterated the need for a full implementation of Resolution 1701 of the United Nations Security Council, for ensure that in southern Lebanon, between the Blue Line and the Litani River, only the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and UNIFIL are in possession of weapons. Both ministers agreed that every possible effort should be made to protect UNIFIL and the civilian population and avoid their involvement in clashes with Hezbollah, stressing the need to review and make UNIFIL's mandate more effective and up-to-date.

Crosetto and Gallant have hoped for the rapid release of hostages held by Hamas terrorists e welcomed the defense capability of the Israel Self-Defense Forces, which protected the civilian population from the recent Iranian attacks, avoiding a further dangerous escalation. Minister Crosetto insisted that a resolution be reached as soon as possible cease-fire that allows diplomatic actions to be restarted. At the same time, they reiterated the importance of supporting the Lebanese Armed Forces, whose strengthening is crucial to create the necessary security conditions to allow the return of displaced persons, both in southern Lebanon and northern Israel.

Finally, the discussion turned to the situation in Syria, whose stability is a determining factor for the security and stability of the entire Middle East.