Israeli forces have fired warning shots at a convoy of Italian UN peacekeepers in Lebanon, damaging a vehicle but causing no injuries, Al Jazeera reports, quoting the Italian government.

Defence Minister Guido Crosetto has said the incident is “unacceptable”, while Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said the government was seeking clarification from the Israeli ambassador.

“To reiterate, Italian soldiers in Lebanon are not to be touched,” Tajani told parliament.

An Italian convoy from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) was carrying personnel from the town of Shama to Beirut when it was targeted by warning shots fired by the Israeli Defence Forces, Crosetto has said in a statement. The convoy immediately stopped and returned to base.

“There was only minor damage to the vehicles and no injuries were reported, but for how long?” Crosetto said. “It is unacceptable that Italian soldiers deployed under the UN flag, tasked exclusively with guaranteeing peace and stability, should be exposed to risky situations by the Israeli army.”

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