An Italian-Israeli army reservist has been killed in cross-border attack by Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, foreign minister Antonio Tajani announced on Thursday.
"Rafael Kauders, a 39-year-old Italian-Israeli army reservist was killed following a Hezbollah attack in northern Israel," Tajani wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
"I have just spoken to the family, which is active in the Italian community in Israel, to express the entire government's condolences, the tweet added.
Kauder was the first Italian-Israeli soldier killed since Palestinian Islamist group Hamas' deadly rampage on 7 October, which sparked Israel's devastating eight-month-old war against Hamas in Gaza.
Israel's ambassador to Italy Alon Bar thanked Tajani for his "words of sympathy in the fact of this umpteenth tragic loss".
Kauder died late on Wednesday "while defending his country from terrorism", Bar wrote on X.
Three Italian-Israeli citizens were killed in Hamas' 7 October attack, in which some 1,200 people were killed and over 200 were taken hostage.
