"It's right to think about the role of our young people who are abroad , in Lebanon and elsewhere, for defensive purposes. Right now, there's a risk; you're caught between two fires. So it's right to think about how to stay, how long to stay, and whether to stay at all."

Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini said this to RTL 102.5, referring to the UNIFIL mission stationed in Lebanon, where Israeli forces and Hezbollah militias have been engaged in crossfire for days.

Yesterday, debris from a missile shot down by anti-aircraft guns fell on a coalition base, wounding an infantryman from the Sassari Brigade . This escalation of risk is reportedly leading the government and the UN to consider a possible early withdrawal of the troops serving on the mission.

"You're there with the rules of engagement to defend civilians, and you're stuck between two people who are actually shooting at each other. So it's absolutely necessary to discuss this," Salvini added. In recent days , Defense Minister Guido Crosetto had stated that a review was needed to determine "whether the conditions exist to continue the mission or not."

Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani also addressed the situation in Lebanon: "We urge all parties, under all circumstances, to ensure the safety of UNIFIL personnel and facilities. UN peacekeepers must never be the target of attacks or acts of bullying of any kind," Tajani said in an interview with the English-language Emirati newspaper The National.

(Unioneonline/lf)

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