ROME: During a recent meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called for a global cessation of weapon sales to Israel, citing the escalating violence in the Middle East.
Addressing the press, Sanchez stressed the necessity for the international community to refrain from exacerbating the conflict in Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon through arms exports.
Sanchez’s remarks resonate with a statement from the French president, advocating for an end to arms deliveries aimed at combat in Gaza, a stance that has drawn sharp criticism from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Sanchez has emerged as a vocal critic within the European Union regarding Israel’s military actions, recently labeling the maneuvers in Lebanon as an “invasion” and urging global intervention.
In related developments, Irish Foreign Minister Micheal Martin condemned an incident where Israeli forces injured two United Nations peacekeepers in southern Lebanon. The UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, UNIFIL, reported that the attack on their headquarters resulted in injuries to two ‘Blue Helmets’.
Martin described the attack as a shocking escalation and an overt act of hostility by the Israeli Defense Forces against UN personnel.
Ireland, contributing 347 soldiers to the 10,000-strong UNIFIL contingent tasked with maintaining peace in southern Lebanon, has expressed significant concerns over the implications of these hostilities.
Speaking from southwest Ireland, Martin appealed to the international community to firmly address and condemn Israel’s actions, labeling them as wholly unacceptable.
