Italian FM says ceasefire efforts are at the centre of G7 talks

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said the Group of Seven meeting near Rome focused on efforts for a ceasefire in Lebanon and Gaza. The talks in Fiuggi brought together foreign ministers from the world’s top economies.

It marks the last time top diplomats from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States meet before US President-elect Donald Trump takes office.

For the first time, ministers from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the UAE, Qatar, and the Arab League Secretary-General — known as the 'Arab Quintet' — also took part in the discussions.

The Quintet has been working closely with the US to finalise a "day after" plan for Gaza, but there is growing urgency as Donald Trump is expected to adopt a policy favouring Israel.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and other foreign ministers expressed cautious optimism about a potential ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.

"We are perhaps close to a ceasefire in Lebanon," he said. "Let's hope it's true and that there's no backing down at the last minute.”

Tajani also stated that Italy is prepared to take on a greater peacekeeping role in Lebanon to help implement any ceasefire agreement. "Italy is fully willing to play a leading role, provided there is agreement from the Lebanese side," he said.

He added that all diplomats condemned attacks on UN peacekeepers and suggested creating a double buffer zone along the border. This would include "UNIFIL troops operating under revised rules of engagement from the border to the river, and Lebanese troops deployed north of the river".

Israel's Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, stated that Israel is "moving forward" on a ceasefire with Lebanon but emphasised it would take time. "There will be a few stages, a few requirements," Danon said.

"The most important condition for us is the withdrawal of Hezbollah from north of the Litani," the ambassador said.

.We said from the beginning that that will be our goal in this war. Then there will be other stages in the agreement. Regarding the UN, as far as I know, the UN is not part of the agreement, but the presence of UNIFIL over there is important and we are grateful for that.” Danon added.

"We need a unified position on the ICC decision," Tajani said. "We discussed it and are working to see if the final communique will include a section on this. An agreement is still in progress."

Tajani said another major talking point on the G7 agenda revolved around the arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) last week.

"The ministers need to have a unified position on the decision of the International Court of Justice. We spoke about it and we will see if in the final communique, there will be a part dedicated to this. We are working to find an agreement."

Israel and Hezbollah continue to exchange fire

Israel and Hezbollah have been exchanging fire since Hamas militants attacked Israel on 7 October 2023, which set off Israel's war in Gaza.

Over the past year, Lebanon has suffered over 3,500 deaths, mostly civilians, and 1.2 million people have been displaced. In Israel, more than 70 people have been killed, including over 40 civilians, while tens of thousands evacuated from the border are urging the government to let them return home.

On Monday, Israel carried out multiple airstrikes across Lebanon, killing at least 31 people. The strikes targeted commercial and residential areas in Beirut and the port city of Tyre, which Israel claims are Hezbollah strongholds.

Some of the airstrikes hit areas near central Beirut, including Christian neighborhoods, as well as other locations in Tyre and Nabatiyeh province, where Israel had issued evacuation warnings. Israeli strikes also targeted the Baalbek-Hermel region in northeast Lebanon, hitting without warning.