Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Saturday in Rome, after meeting caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, that the truce between Israel and Hezbollah should be "the prelude to lasting stability."

"The cease-fire agreement between Hezbollah and Israel should be the prelude to lasting stability," Meloni said, according to the state-run National News Agency. Mikati thanked his counterpart for his continued support for Lebanon, including his stance in favor of the efforts that led to the ceasefire. He also thanked Italy for its support for the Lebanese army and expressed gratitude for Italy's active participation in UNIFIL.

Concluded on Nov. 27 through mediation by U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein, the truce came after a year of cross-border conflict and more than two months of escalation across Lebanon.