More restrictive than partners on arms to Israel - Meloni

(ANSA) - ROME, OCT 15 - Premier Giorgia Meloni on Tuesday defended the arms agreements Italy has with Israel, as it fights Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, saying the conditions were stricter than those of other Western countries.
    "After the start of operations in Gaza, the government immediately suspended all new export licences and all agreements signed after 7 October were not implemented," Meloni told the Senate as she reported to parliament before this week's EU summit.
    "The licences authorised before are all being analysed on a case-by-case basis by the competent authority at the foreign ministry.
    "I want to recall that the Italian policy of completely blocking of all new licences is much more restrictive than that applied by our partners - France, Germany and United Kingdom.
    "These partners continue to use case-by-case assessments, including for new licences.
    "We have blocked everything". (ANSA).