On October 21, 2024, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani commenced a peace mission in Israel and the West Bank, emphasizing the need for a ceasefire and the release of hostages. Upon arriving in Tel Aviv, he stated the importance of establishing mutual recognition between Israel and Palestine to achieve lasting peace.
During his visit, Tajani met with Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, followed by a conversation with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa in Ramallah. He also spoke with President Isaac Herzog via telephone.
Tajani expressed concerns regarding the safety of Italian military personnel serving in UNIFIL, clarifying that they are not allies of Hezbollah. He received assurances from both Netanyahu and Katz that there had been no decisions against the blue helmets, despite Hezbollah's presence in Lebanon.
The minister highlighted that Italian soldiers have reported incidents in Lebanon to the UN, urging the organization to take action rather than relying solely on UNIFIL's military personnel.
Tajani proposed strengthening the Lebanese army, which is currently being trained by Italian forces in Beirut, and called for the election of a new president. He suggested enhancing UNIFIL's mandate with more personnel and different rules of engagement along the Lebanon-Israel border and the Litani River.
During the briefing, Tajani reiterated the mission's objective to promote de-escalation and expedite efforts for a ceasefire in both Gaza and Lebanon. He confirmed that Israel would facilitate the passage of Italian humanitarian aid trucks to Gaza, scheduled to depart from Genoa on Friday. Additionally, he reaffirmed Italy's commitment to the two-state solution, pledging to increase support for civilians in Gaza and the West Bank in conjunction with the upcoming humanitarian conference at the G7 in Pescara.