Italy has suspended its defence co-operation agreement with Israel following a sharp escalation in political tensions between the two countries
The move came amid a series of incidents involving Israeli forces and Italian peacekeepers in southern Lebanon, where they are deployed under a UN mission.
The decision, reported today, marks a significant diplomatic shift by Rome, which until now had positioned itself as one of Israel’s strongest allies. It comes after days of rising friction and a heated exchange between senior officials in both countries, as well as Italy’s opposition to the war against Iran.
According to multiple reports, the suspension follows concerns in Rome over the safety of its personnel in Lebanon after Israeli armoured units allegedly struck or manoeuvred aggressively near their peacekeeping positions.
Italian officials have described the situation as “seriously destabilising” for international peacekeeping operations and have summoned Israel’s ambassador in protest.
The diplomatic rift deepened after Italian foreign minister Antonio Tajani, during a visit to Beirut yesterday, publicly condemned Israeli strikes on civilian areas in southern Lebanon. In response, Israel summoned Italy’s ambassador, signalling a further deterioration in bilateral relations.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government has since moved to suspend the automatic renewal mechanism of the bilateral defence co-operation agreement with Israel.
Until now, the accord had been renewed routinely without political review. Under the new decision, Rome has halted that automatic renewal process without specifying whether or when it might be reinstated, effectively placing the agreement in a state of indefinite suspension.
Italy’s decision also reflects a broader, if cautious, distancing by the Italian Government from recent Israeli and US strategic choices. These have increasingly placed the country’s centre-right coalition under pressure amid growing public criticism of the policies pursued by US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Meloni had already signalled a degree of distance from the most recent escalation involving Iran, while Rome declined the US authority to use Italian military bases on national territory for operations linked to the conflict.
These developments have contributed to a gradual recalibration of Italy’s position within the western alliance framework.
Just hours before announcing the suspension of military co-operation with Israel, Meloni had also criticised Trump over remarks directed at Pope Leo XIV.
Taken together, these signals point to a subtle but noticeable shift within Italy’s governing Right on issues related to the Trump–Netanyahu axis, as domestic political sensitivities over the wars in the Middle East increasingly shape foreign policy calculations.
The Israeli Government has not yet issued an official response to Italy’s suspension of the defence agreement.
