Graziano was received by senior Lebanese army officials at Beirut international airport.

He is due to take over the leadership of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in a ceremony on Friday, replacing French General Alain Pellegrini, UNIFIL officials said.

Graziano served from July 2005 to February 2006 as commander of the multinational Kabul Brigade which forms part of the NATO-led international force in Afghanistan.

He last served as a deputy chief of staff for operations within the Italian military.

Italy has the largest number of troops in UNIFIL with about 2,500, about one quarter of the force's total strength.

UNIFIL, which was set up in 1978 to monitor the border between Israel and southern Lebanon, was beefed up in the wake of last summer's war between Israeli forces and Hezbollah guerrillas.

The task force is now made up of 12,000 peace keepers from 28 countries.