Italy says Hezbollah staged UN base attack it had blamed on Israel

Italy's defense ministry said Tuesday that Hezbollah staged an attack on a U.N. peacekeeping base in Lebanon that it had blamed on Israel.

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

According to the Italian defense ministry, eight 107-millimenter rockets hit outdoor areas and a warehouse at the base in Shamaa, where no soldiers were present.

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.

The Israeli army accused Hezbollah of firing rockets at the U.N. base in Shamaa and a rocket at another U.N. position in Ramia. The rocket, which UNIFIL said was "likely fired by non-state actors within Lebanon," struck the base of the Ghana's mission in the east of Ramia village, injuring four peacekeepers.

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.