ISLAMABAD: Pressure on Israel over its military campaign in Lebanon intensified on Tuesday, as Italy suspended defense ties, Spain issued a blunt legal rebuke, and China called for respect for Lebanese sovereignty.
In Rome, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced the suspension of a long-standing defense cooperation agreement with Israel. The pact, in place since 2006, covers military training, industrial cooperation, and technology sharing.
According to AFP, Italian officials said the move followed reports that Israeli forces fired warning shots at a United Nations peacekeeping convoy in southern Lebanon that included Italian personnel, an incident that drew strong backlash in Italy, a key contributor to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
“In view of the current situation, the government has decided to suspend the automatic renewal of the defence agreement with Israel,” Meloni said on the sidelines of an event in Verona, according to Italian news agencies ANSA and AGI.
In Beijing, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez delivered a sharp condemnation, accusing Israel of violating international law and describing its conduct as “intolerable,” AFP reported.
Speaking during an official visit, Sánchez said the war had been a “mistake” from the outset and called for the European Union to suspend its cooperation framework with Israel. He also urged accountability, warning that there should be “no impunity” for what he described as criminal acts, and said Lebanon must be included in any ceasefire arrangement.
Separately, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a post on X that “the essence of civilizations reveals itself at critical historical junctures,” adding that positions taken by countries including Spain, China, Russia, Türkiye, Italy, and Egypt against what he described as “warmongering and crimes” reflect their deep cultural and historical roots.
China’s response included Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning saying Lebanon’s sovereignty “should not be violated” and stressed the need to protect civilian lives, urging all parties to de-escalate.
Israeli officials did not immediately respond to the remarks.
