Italy has decided not to renew its five-year defence cooperation agreement with Israel, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced, citing the “current situation” without providing further details. Officials said the government is still assessing what the suspension will mean in practice for military and technical cooperation between the two countries.

The move comes as diplomatic relations between Rome and Tel Aviv have recently deteriorated. Italy summoned the Israeli ambassador after Israeli forces fired warning shots near an Italian UN peacekeeping convoy in Lebanon, while Israel later summoned Italy’s ambassador following critical remarks from Italy’s foreign minister about Israeli actions in Lebanon. Italy has also faced domestic pressure, with public protests calling for restrictions on military ties with Israel.

Italy is a significant but relatively small supplier of arms to Israel compared to the United States and Germany. The decision also comes amid broader political shifts in Europe, where several countries have reconsidered defence exports to Israel during the ongoing Gaza conflict, which has caused heavy casualties and intensified international criticism.

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