Italy suspends defence cooperation deal with Israel

Italy suspends defence cooperation deal with Israel Submitted by MEE staff on Tue, 04/14/2026 - 12:30 Giorgia Meloni announces suspension of automatic renewal of agreement, which includes military training and research, 'in light of the current situation' Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni speaks in Italy's parliament in Rome on 9 April 2026 (Andreas Solaro/AFP) Off Italy has suspended the automatic renewal of a defence cooperational agreement with Israel , Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Tuesday. Meloni announced the decision while speaking to reporters during a visit to a wine fair in Verona. "In light of the current situation, the government has decided to suspend the automatic renewal of the defence agreement with Israel," the premier said, as quoted by Italian news agencies.