Italy: We Are Trying to Prevent Lebanon and Syria from Entering the Conflict

Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto emphasized the "need for in-depth thinking on the rules of engagement for UNIFIL forces in Lebanon," according to the Italian news agency "Nova." Crosetto stated in television remarks, "I will be in the Middle East in the coming days and at the United Nations on Monday to discuss the future of the UNIFIL mission in Lebanon and the issues related to the rules of engagement. A thorough assessment is necessary to determine whether these are truly aligned with the risks and circumstances we are currently facing." He added, "There needs to be a serious discussion about the rules of engagement and an evaluation of whether they correspond to the risks and times we are living in. If you make a mistake, you create the conditions for the situation to explode. The escalation that involves Lebanon, and possibly Syria, entering the conflict is what we are trying to avoid. This requires us not to make errors. I had some doubts about this crisis, and I discussed it with my German, French, and Spanish colleagues, and we all need to ask ourselves how to achieve stability in the region, which, if it erupts further, could create problems for the entire Mediterranean region and beyond."