Spain has strongly condemned Israel’s bombardment of Lebanon and called for a ceasefire in Gaza after reports that over 350 people have been killed. The criticism comes as Israel continues to target Hezbollah in response to the militant group firing missiles at northern Israel. On Monday, Israeli forces bombed Beirut and southern Lebanon, claiming to be targeting a senior Hezbollah commander along with weapons depots and rocket emplacements.
In a statement from the Foreign Ministry in Madrid, the Spanish government expressed its deep dismay and condemnation of the Israeli bombardment that has led to hundreds of casualties in southern and eastern Lebanon. The ministry called for an end to the spiral of violence, urging all parties involved to respect civilian lives and adhere to international humanitarian law by implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1701 fully.
The exchange between Israel and Hezbollah began last week when thousands of communications devices used by Lebanese militants simultaneously exploded, killing at least 37 people and injuring an estimated 3,000. Israeli jets retaliated with airstrikes on Beirut, resulting in the death of a senior Hezbollah commander. In response, Hezbollah fired missiles into northern Israel over the weekend and on Monday afternoon, leading to more casualties from Israeli strikes.
The Lebanese Health Ministry has reported over 350 fatalities and more than 1,200 injuries from Israeli strikes on Monday alone. Among the casualties were 42 women and 24 children. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed to have struck “more than 1,300” Hezbollah targets in retaliation for their missile attacks, which Defense Minister Yoav Gallant described as “crushing what was built by Hezbollah for 20 years.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has urged Lebanese civilians to stay safe and avoid being used as human shields by Hezbollah. He stated that once Israel’s operation is completed, the affected civilians can return safely to their homes. This recent round of violence follows months of low-intensity missile fire and airstrikes between Israel and Hezbollah, while the IDF focused its main efforts on eradicating Hamas in Gaza. The Israeli military has been responsible for thousands of Palestinian deaths since October 7.