Portugal urges Israel to stop attacks after 3 nationals killed in bomb attack in Gaza

MADRID (AA) - Portugal's Foreign Minister Jose Gomes Cravinho expressed deep sorrow Friday for the tragic deaths of three Portuguese nationals, including two children, in recent Israeli bombing attacks in the Gaza Strip.

The deaths occurred Nov. 15 during a bombing attack in the southern Gaza Strip.

Cravinho conveyed condolences of the government in a statement and said it was saddened by the deaths of five people, three of whom were Portuguese, in the bombing.

He noted that he expressed his "dissatisfaction" with his Israeli counterpart, Eli Cohen, about the bombing in a telephone call where he said he urged Israel to "stop these bombings."

Meanwhile, the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, announced two citizens in Gaza, along with six family members, totaling eight individuals, crossed from the Rafah Border Crossing to Egypt.

The Spanish government had previously brought 139 individuals (including 67 children) consisting of Spanish-Palestinian citizens and their family members from Gaza to Madrid on Nov. 16.

Since Israel started bombarding Gaza following Hamas's Oct. 7 cross-border attack, at least 12,000 Palestinians have been killed, including more than 8,300 women and children, and 30,000 have been injured, according to the territory's Health Ministry.

An Israeli blockade has also cut Gaza off from fuel, electricity and water supplies, and reduced aid deliveries to a small trickle.

The Israeli death toll, meanwhile, is around 1,200, according to official figures.