Italy calls on Israel to cease military escalation in Lebanon

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on Thursday renewed calls for Israel to cease military escalation in Lebanon.

During a call with his Lebanese counterpart Youssef Raggi, Tajani voiced support for a ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel while reiterating his willingness to contribute to strengthening institutions and regular armed forces.

"To defend the ceasefire, Hezbollah must absolutely cease any military action against Israel and accept the decisions of the legitimate government. We are convinced that Israel too must renounce military escalation. The path of diplomacy is the only way to achieve peace," Tajani said on US social media platform X.

Three people were killed and eight others injured Thursday in Israeli airstrikes in eastern and southern Lebanon despite a renewed ceasefire agreement, according to Lebanese media reports.

The strikes came one day after Lebanon and Israel agreed to renew their fragile ceasefire and establish "pilot zones," placing the Lebanese army in exclusive territorial control, with all non-state actors excluded.

The agreement was announced in a joint statement released following a fourth round of US-mediated talks held at the State Department on Wednesday.

The US-sponsored talks followed weeks of near-daily Israeli strikes on Lebanon that have killed nearly 3,500 people since March 2, despite a ceasefire that took effect on April 17 and was later extended until early July.