Italy condemns 'intolerable' Israeli attack against UN force in Lebanon

Italy's Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said that Israel on Tuesday staged an "intolerable" new attack on the U.N. peacekeeping force in Lebanon.

"Today there was a new attack. Three rockets fell on Chamaa. It is intolerable," the minister said on the sidelines of EU talks in Brussels. The UNIFIL force has complained of increasing attacks by Israel since it started its campaign targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Eight rockets had struck the headquarters of Italy’s U.N. peacekeeping contingent in southern Lebanon. No one was injured.

According to the Italian defense ministry, the eight 107-millimenter rockets hit outdoor areas and a warehouse at the base in Chamaa, where no soldiers were present. Five soldiers were being kept under observation, the statement said.

Italy said it was investigating from where the rockets originated, and who was responsible.

It was the second time in a week that Italy has complained about rockets or shells hitting its peacekeepers' base.

Last week, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani spoke with his Israeli counterpart to demand an investigation after an artillery shell hit the gym on the base. No one was injured in that incident and the shell did not detonate.