Italy is imposing the toughest restrictions on arms exports to Israel among allies, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni told the Italian Senate on Tuesday ahead of this week's EU summit Thursday and Friday.
"After the start of the Israeli operation in the Gaza Strip, the government immediately suspended the issuance of all new licenses for the export of military material to Israel," she said. "Therefore, all contracts signed after Oct. 7 were not executed. All export licenses issued before Oct. 7 were analyzed on a case-by-case basis."
Italy's position is to completely block all new export licenses, more restrictive measures than other allies, the Italian prime minister added, RIA Novosti reported.
France, Germany, and the U.K. continue to evaluate new licenses on an individual basis, Meloni said.
While new licenses have been completely suspended, Italy is assessing old permits, taking action where there is a risk this military "material could be used in the current crisis."
Meloni plans to visit Lebanon on Oct. 18, just days after Israeli forces attacked U.N. bases in the country, drawing anger from many EU capitals, including Rome.
The U.N. peacekeeping mission known as UNIFIL is stationed in southern Lebanon to monitor hostilities along the demarcation line with Israel – an area that has seen serious clashes this month between Israeli troops and Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters.
Israel has demanded the withdrawal of the UNIFIL forces, which include just over 1,000 Italian troops, but contributor nations have refused and angrily denounced repeated Israeli strikes against the bases that have injured some peacekeepers.
"We believe that the attitude of the Israeli forces is completely unjustified," Meloni told the upper house of parliament, describing it as a "blatant violation" of a U.N. resolution that mandated the Lebanese mission.
In a later speech to the lower house, she said: "I believe that a withdrawal on the basis of a unilateral request by Israel would be a big mistake. It would undermine the credibility of the mission itself, the credibility of the United Nations."
Her decision to travel to Lebanon, despite daily attacks on the country by Israel, highlights Italy's determination to support the U.N. operation and underscores Rome's anger with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the issue.
Meloni's government has been one of the most vocal supporters of Israel over the past year as it battled regional enemies following the Oct. 7 Hamas assault out of Gaza.
"I understand Israel's reasons for needing to prevent what happened last Oct. 7 from happening again, but that obviously does not mean I agree with all its choices," Meloni said.
Since the start of Israel's ground operation in Lebanon on Oct. 1, UNIFIL positions have been targeted 20 times, including by direct fire and an incident on Sunday when two Israeli tanks burst through the gates of a UNIFIL base, the U.N. has said.
Netanyahu has denied that Israeli troops deliberately struck at UNIFIL peacekeepers.
Italy has formally protested to Israel and joined allies in condemning the attacks on the mission.
Meloni said Hezbollah had also violated the U.N. resolution and sought "to militarize the area under UNIFIL's jurisdiction," adding that Italy wanted to strengthen the capabilities of UNIFIL and the Lebanese Armed Forces.
Information from Reuters was used in compiling this report.