Giorgia Meloni has announced the suspension of a long-standing defence cooperation agreement with Israel, signalling a shift in relations between the two allies.
The decision follows growing tensions over Israel’s military actions in Lebanon, as well as an incident in which Israeli forces fired warning shots near Italian troops deployed under a UN mission.
Meloni said the government would stop the automatic renewal of the agreement, originally signed in 2003, stressing that Rome would act when it disagrees with its partners.
The move marks a notable repositioning for Italy, which has traditionally been one of Israel’s closest allies in Europe. It also comes shortly after Meloni publicly criticised Donald Trump.
Israeli officials downplayed the impact, noting that the agreement was largely symbolic and would not affect the country’s security.
Meloni and Netanyahu // Shutterstock