'Hands off Italian soldiers' says Tajani after UNIFIL attack

(ANSA) - ROME, OCT 11 - Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on Friday spoke out for the safety of Italian soldiers after the Israeli army on Thursday hit Italian UNIFIL bases in southern Lebanon. "Hands off Italian soldiers, they are not Hezbollah militants", said Tajani, speaking in Turin where he was attending a meeting with Regional Governor Alberto Cirio.
    "No Italian soldiers were injured in the attacks on the UNIFIL bases", said Tajani.
    "Italian soldiers are safe, but we don't want the situation to deteriorate", he added.
    Tajani went on to say that Italian military personnel deployed with UNIFIL - including about 1,200 soldiers - "have always guaranteed with great respect for the rules, working for peace, a situation that would also enable the Israeli civilian population to be safeguarded.
    "They did their duty, we stand by them, we are following what is going on minute by minute", added the foreign minister.
    Tajani explained that he has written again to the Israeli foreign minister after the IDF hit the UNIFIL bases on Thursday and a base where some 70 Italian soldiers are stationed was involved in another incident Friday morning.
    "What is going on is unacceptable", said Tajani.
    "Today we have written again to the Israeli foreign minister: we are waiting for an investigation and, given that there is clear evidence that Israeli soldiers were responsible for firing against UNIFIL bases, and this morning another incident was reported in a base where there are some 70 Italian soldiers, I stress that this is inadmissible", added the foreign minister.
    (ANSA).