Italy suspends Israel defense pact

The decision to freeze the automatic renewal of the pact follows an incident in Lebanon where Israeli forces allegedly fired warning shots at a convoy of Italian UN peacekeepers.

Meloni stated that it would be 'politically difficult' to maintain the agreement given the current situation and the rising death toll in Lebanon.

The suspension covers joint research, military equipment, and strategic cooperation.

This action has drawn praise from some European leaders but has been met with sharp criticism from the Trump administration, which continues to support Israel's military campaign.