Giorgia Meloni said Italy has suspended the automatic renewal of a defence cooperation agreement with Israel amid growing tensions over the Middle East conflict.

The decision follows Italian criticism of Israeli military actions in Lebanon, which have caused significant casualties and damaged relations between the two countries.

Meloni said the move reflects her government’s response to actions it disagrees with, despite Italy traditionally being a close European ally of Israel.

Israel’s foreign ministry downplayed the impact, saying the agreement had no substantive security effects, Reuters has reported.

The suspension marks a notable shift in Italy’s foreign policy approach as regional conflicts intensify.