D'Alema told Syrian president, Basher al-Assad and Foreign Minister Walid Moallem that Italy would push for an end to Syria's international isolation in return for a guarantee that Hezbollah and other groups would not harm Italian troops in Lebanon.

Italy has headed the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon since February, and has some 11,000 soldiers stationed in the south, covering the Litani River region.

A senior Israeli official said the information showed Italy was more concerned with the safety of its own troops than with the mission assigned to it by the UN, and was even prepared to make deals with Syria to that end.

According to the official, information on the deal offered to Syria undermine the suggestion Italy has made several times over the past two months of sending multinational peacekeeping forces to Gaza.

The official said that despite ostensibly 'good intentions,' Italy's forces would not help in preventing Hamas from firing rockets into Israel and smuggling arms into Gaza, as it may decide to make a deal with the organization in return for its soldiers' safety.

Haaritz