Italy Suspends Defence Cooperation Agreement With Israel

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced on April 14, 2026, that Italy will suspend the automatic renewal of its bilateral defense cooperation agreement with Israel. The decision freezes joint military training, equipment exchanges and defense industrial collaboration between the two nations.

The announcement was made by Meloni on the sidelines of the Vinitaly event in Verona. She stated that the government decided to suspend the renewal in light of the current situation, although she did not provide further specific details during the announcement.

Diplomatic Tensions

The suspension follows a period of deteriorating relations between Rome and Tel Aviv. During the week preceding April 15, 2026, Italy summoned the Israeli ambassador to Rome. This action was taken after Israeli forces fired warning shots at a convoy of Italian UN peacekeepers in Lebanon, which resulted in damage to one vehicle but caused no injuries.

On April 13, 2026, Israel responded by summoning Italy’s ambassador to protest comments made by Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. Tajani had condemned what he described as unacceptable attacks by Israel on civilians in Lebanon.

Framework of the Defense Pact

The defense cooperation agreement was originally signed in 2003 and ratified by the Italian parliament in 2005. Since then, the memorandum has been renewed automatically every five years.

The pact established a framework for several key areas of military cooperation, including:

• Research into military equipment and technology.
• The import, export, and transit of military material.
• Training for armed forces.
• Defense procurement policies.
• Military agreements between private companies in Italy and Israel, provided they received government authorization.

Reciprocal Military Procurement

The agreement served as the foundation for numerous reciprocal procurement deals over the last decade. In 2012, Israel purchased 30 Leonardo M-346 trainer aircraft. In exchange, Italy acquired two G550 CAEW airborne early warning aircraft and an OPTSAT-3000 reconnaissance satellite from Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).

The G550 CAEW jets became a critical asset for the Italian Air Force. Between 2020 and 2022, these aircraft logged more than 4,362 flight hours and supported 650 military operations, including NATO surveillance missions near the border of Ukraine, Moldova, and Romania.

Further cooperation was seen in September 2020, when Israel bought 12 AW119Kx training helicopters from Leonardo. Simultaneously, Italy acquired helicopter simulators from Elbit Systems and Spike missile launchers and missiles from Rafael.

Global and Economic Context

According to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri), Italy is the third-largest arms exporter to Israel. However, Italian exports accounted for only 1.3% of Israeli arms imports between 2021 and 2025, with Germany and the United States remaining the primary exporters.

The move by Italy aligns with a broader trend among several European countries that have paused or restricted arms exports to Israel during its military operations in Gaza. The offensive began following the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed approximately 1,200 people and saw 251 others taken as hostages to Gaza.

Data from the Hamas-run health ministry indicates that more than 72,330 people were killed by Israeli military action in Gaza, including 757 individuals since a ceasefire began on October 10, 2025.

Officials from the Italian defense ministry told the BBC that they are currently examining the legal and practical consequences of the government’s decision to suspend the agreement and how it will affect the existing framework of cooperation with Israel.