Italy has summoned Israel’s ambassador to Rome in a sharp diplomatic protest following an incident in which two Italian military policemen were threatened at gunpoint.
The pair were forced to kneel by an armed individual, believed to be an Israeli settler, in the occupied West Bank.
The episode occurred on January 25 near the Palestinian village of Na’ama, close to Ramallah, where the two Carabinieri officers attached to Italy’s consulate general in Jerusalem were conducting a preliminary site inspection.
The visit was in preparation for a planned tour by European Union ambassadors to the area.
According to the Italian foreign ministry, the officers were stopped by an armed man in civilian clothes, presumed to be a settler, who pointed an automatic rifle at them.
A government source described how the individual compelled the two men to kneel at gunpoint and subjected them to an impromptu interrogation.
They had to speak with an unidentified person on the phone, who would have told them that they were in a military area, which the Israeli army later said it was not.
The Italian officers were travelling in a vehicle with diplomatic licence plates and carrying diplomatic passports.
No physical harm was reported and they were eventually released.
Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani instructed Israel’s ambassador in Rome, Jonathan Peled, to be summoned to the foreign ministry to receive a “strong protest” and provide clarification on the incident.
The ministry emphasised the gravity of the event, noting that Italy’s embassy in Tel Aviv had already lodged a formal protest with the Israeli Government, military, police and Shin Bet security agency.
The foreign ministry statement described the officers as having been “stopped in Palestinian territory, near Ramallah, probably by a ‘settler’ under the threat of an automatic rifle”.
It added that Tajani sought “to seek clarification” and convey Rome’s firm objection.
The incident has drawn widespread coverage and condemnation in Italy, highlighting ongoing tensions in the West Bank involving settlers and foreign diplomatic personnel.
Giuseppe Conte, President of the Five Star Movement, called the incident “unacceptable” and an “intolerable offence to our military and our flag”.
Conte went on to link it to how Palesinians “systematically suffer aggression and violence by the settlers with the full complicity of the Israeli army”.
Chiara Braga, leader of the Democratic Party group in the Chamber of Deputies said: “The arrogance of Israeli settlers knows no borders. It is time for the Italian Government to tell [Israeli President Benjamin] Netanyahu to stop because the impunity to which Israeli settlers are accustomed is no longer tolerable,”
No immediate official response from Israeli authorities has been detailed in public statements, although the summoning of the ambassador is expected to prompt bilateral discussions.
Under international law, the West Bank is considered Palestinian territory and has limited forms of Palestinian self-government.
It remains under Israeli occupation, with Israel exercising control over many aspects of civilian life and security.
The territory also contains numerous Israeli settlements, which are regarded as illegal under international law.
Tensions in and around these settlements have led to recurring incidents of violence, intimidation and property damage affecting Palestinian residents alongside disputes over land and territorial control.
