Lebanon’s prime minister has condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s call to UN chief Antonio Guterres to remove peacekeepers from the Lebanese side of the border.

Lebanon “condemns Netanyahu’s position and the Israeli aggression against UNIFIL,” said Najib Mikati. “The warning that Netanyahu addressed to Guterres demanding the removal of the UNIFIL represents a new chapter in the enemy’s approach of not complying [with international norms],” he added.

Meanwhile, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni told Netanyahu that attacks on UN peacekeepers in Lebanon are “unacceptable”.

“Prime Minister Meloni reiterated the unacceptability of UNIFIL being attacked by Israeli armed forces,” the Italian government said in a statement.

In a phone call with Netanyahu, Meloni called for the “full implementation” of the UN’s Security Council Resolution 1701 on Lebanon, stressing the urgent need to de-escalate conflict.

Italy is a significant contributor to the UN peacekeeping mission on the Israel-Lebanon border.

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) is a mission of about 9,500 troops of various nationalities and was created following Israel’s 1978 invasion of Lebanon.