| Conte also said Italy's military contingent and embassy staff will "remain fully operational for now, but we are ready to intervene to safeguard their security at any time." He was echoed by his defense minister, Trenta, who told Corriere della Sera newspaper in an interview also on Saturday that as far as Italian staff in Libya, "the evacuation plans are operational, we'll see how the situation evolves." With regards to Salvini's aggressive remarks against France, Trenta said that "there is no need a showdown, there is no need to act tough as I see some doing just to grab a newspaper headline or two. What we need now is intelligence, composure, and dialogue." Like Conte, the defense minister said that Italy "talks to all the players in the field as well as our international partners", and added that "France is our partner and friend, and I expect a country who is friend to act with fairness". "There is excellent cooperation and healthy competition between France and Italy," Trenta told Corriere. "We do not work to damage each other, but it is normal that Italy should also strive to pursue its own interests." Trenta also categorically dismissed the notion of armed intervention in Libya. "If anyone is thinking about military intervention in Libya, I can say the option does not exist," Trenta said. "And we will not back a hypothetical intervention by other countries." The World Health Organization said dozens have been killed, hundreds have been wounded and thousands displaced by the fighting in Libya, and the UN refugee agency UNHCR, which said 9,500 people have been driven from their homes, on Friday called for the immediate release of over 1,500 refugees and migrants who are believed to be trapped in detention centers where hostilities are raging. | 
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