Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez on Friday, October 11, 2024, urged the international community to stop selling weapons to Israel as he condemned attacks by Israel’s armed forces against the United Nations’ peacekeeping force in Lebanon.
Israeli forces fired at an observation post used by UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon on Friday, injuring two, the third day in a row that peacekeepers have reported Israeli fire at their positions as Israel wages war on Hezbollah.
The Spanish defence ministry said that none of the Spanish soldiers who were part of the mission were hit.
Spain has deployed 650 peacekeepers in Lebanon and a Spanish general leads the mission.
Sanchez, whose country has been critical of Israel in the recent escalation of the conflict in the Middle East, said after meeting Pope Francis at the Vatican, “Let me at this point criticise and condemn the attacks that the Israeli armed forces are carrying out on the United Nations mission in Lebanon.”
Sanchez said that Spain stopped selling weapons to Israel in October 2023 and urged the rest of the world to do the same to prevent further escalation in the region.
“I think it is urgent given what is happening in the Middle East that the international community stops exporting weapons to the Israeli government.
“This is an appeal that I will make… to the entire international community,” he said, adding that it was important “not to contribute in one way or another to the escalation of violence and to the war and its expansion in Gaza, the West Bank or, in this case, to Lebanon.”
Pedro Sanchez
His comments reflect those of French President Emmanuel Macron, who said countries should stop delivering weapons to fight in Gaza − prompting outrage from Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Sanchez is one of the most outspoken critics among European Union leaders of Israel’s response to the deadly Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023.
He described Israel’s military offensives in Lebanon on Wednesday as an “invasion,” saying that the international community had to act.
Israel Says Review Being Conducted On Attacks
Israeli military said that it was “conducting a thorough review” at the highest levels of command to determine details of attacks on UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon, after mission members were injured on consecutive days.
The military said that it was notified that two UN peacekeepers “were inadvertently” hurt during [Israeli military] combat against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.
The army said in a statement that the [Israeli military] expresses deep concern over incidents of this kind.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah’s media chief, Mohammed Afif, held a news conference in Beirut, where he railed against Israel for its attacks and criticised local and foreign media that he said are lending credence to the killings.
He confirmed Israeli attacks on UN peacekeepers, civilians, residential areas, hospitals and medical staff, and slammed the “excuses” and justifications the Israeli military uses to keep hitting them, including saying they contain weapons and explosives.
“Some media outlets, including global international outlets, cannot dare address the Israelis and tell them openly you are killing unarmed, defenceless innocent civilians.”
Mohammed Afif
He said Israeli claims are part of its “psychological warfare” on Hezbollah and the Lebanese people, and also criticised the government for “not even lifting a finger” amid the Israeli attacks.
“The Israeli army continues to bombard residential areas and kill civilians, under the false pretext that these are weapons depots. The Israelis are even targeting Dahiyeh with bombs saying there are weapons there. Above all, they impede and deny the civil defence and paramedics access to the areas.”
Mohammed Afif
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