Italy has lodged a formal protest with Israel after Israeli forces allegedly targeted the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), where Italian troops are stationed.

Defense Minister Guido Crosetto called his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant, on Thursday, condemning the incident as "unacceptable." Despite the attack, Crosetto confirmed that none of the 1,068 Italian soldiers involved in the mission were harmed.

Earlier, Israeli forces fired at UNIFIL positions, wounding two peacekeepers at the mission's Naqoura headquarters, according to a UNIFIL statement. A second strike hit another UN base, damaging a bunker and communication systems.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed solidarity with Italian General Stefano Messina, commander of UNIFIL's Western Sector, while Crosetto summoned the Israeli ambassador to formally protest. He stated that Israel's actions violated international law and breached UN Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah conflict.

This incident follows a surge in violence along the Israel-Lebanon Blue Line, with Israeli airstrikes and limited ground operations since late September. Lebanese officials report over 2,100 deaths and more than 10,000 injuries from the ongoing conflict.