Spain says destruction, death 'must stop' in Middle East

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

GENEVA (AA) - Spain’s foreign minister on Sunday urged an end to the destruction and death in the Middle East, demanding compliance with international law as Israel stepped up bombings in both Lebanon and Gaza.

"The intensification of bombings in Beirut and Gaza, which we condemn, is leaving dozens of victims. The destruction and death must stop in the Middle East," Jose Manuel Albares said on X.

"We demand a cease-fire and compliance with international law," Albares said, reiterating Madrid's stance on the protection of civilians.

His remarks came after an Israeli airstrike that killed at least 10 people at a UN-run school in Gaza City on Sunday.

At least 20 other people were injured in Saturday’s attack on the Abu Assi School, where hundreds of civilians sheltered in the Shati refugee camp, according to the Civil Defense Service.

- Churches, residences in Lebanon bombed

Israeli warplanes also carried out at least 27 airstrikes targeting civilian and religious sites in Lebanon on Sunday, state media reported.

An Israeli airstrike targeted the vicinity of Our Lady of Salvation Church near Saint George Hospital in Hadath in a southern suburb of the capital Beirut, the state-run National News Agency reported.

Another Israeli airstrike targeted a 12-story residential building near the Mar Michael Church in the Chiyah neighborhood of southern Beirut.

In its ongoing offensive on the Gaza Strip and attacks on Lebanon, Israel has systematically targeted civilian facilities, including schools, hospitals, and places of worship.

Under the rules of war, targeting such civilian facilities can constitute a war crime.

Israel launched an air campaign in Lebanon in September against what it claims are Hezbollah targets in an escalation from a year of cross-border warfare over Israel’s ongoing war on the Gaza Strip.

More than 3,400 people have been killed, over 14,600 injured, and more than 1 million displaced by Israeli attacks since October 2023, according to Lebanese health authorities.

Tel Aviv expanded the conflict on Oct. 1 by launching a ground assault into southern Lebanon.

Israel has continued a devastating offensive on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023, killing nearly 43,800 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and rendering the enclave almost uninhabitable.

It also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in the blockaded enclave.