Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Tuesday she 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.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni would be the first head of state or government to visit Lebanon since escalations between Israel and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah in September.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Melon is scheduled to visit Lebanon on October 18 to reiterate support for UNIFIL.

By Angelo Amante and Giuseppe Fonte ROME (Reuters) -Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Tuesday she plans to visit Lebanon and called for security guarantees for her country's troops there after U.

Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which has come under attack by Israeli forces, should not

The 16 EU countries contributing to the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Lebanon believe its rules of engagement need to be more effective, the Italian defence ministry said on Wednesday, although that hinged on Israel stopping its operations.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Tuesday announced a visit to Lebanon later this week, and said heeding Israel’s unilateral demand for UN peacekeepers to be withdrawn from the country would be a “grave mistake”.

In a speech to the Italian Senate, Meloni decried Israel’s recent attacks on the international forces in Lebanon. Italy is Europe’s largest contributor of troops to those forces, and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said they will remain in the region despite attacks on peacekeepers.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday he told French President Emmanuel Macron that he would not agree to a ceasefire deal that failed to stop Hezbollah from rearming and regrouping.