Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called on Saturday for pressure to stop Israel's "massacre in Gaza" and said Madrid is planning to introduce a UN resolution requesting a world court ruling on aid access to the Palestinian territory.
Israel's military has announced it is in the "initial stages" of a new offensive in Gaza aimed at defeating Hamas.
More than 100 people in Gaza were killed in Israeli strikes on Friday and at least another 10 on Saturday, according to the Gaza civil defence agency.
To display this content from YouTube, you must enable advertisement tracking and audience measurement.
One of your browser extensions seems to be blocking the video player from loading. To watch this content, you may need to disable it on this site.
01:51
Sanchez told an Arab League summit in Baghdad that the war triggered by Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel has led to "unacceptable numbers" of victims in Gaza, violating the "principle of humanity".
"The extremely grave humanitarian crisis Gaza has endured since October 2023 has caused more than 50,000 dead, 100,000 wounded and two million displaced," Sanchez said.
World leaders should "intensify our pressure on Israel to halt the massacre in Gaza, particularly through the channels afforded to us by international law", he said.
To display this content from YouTube, you must enable advertisement tracking and audience measurement.
One of your browser extensions seems to be blocking the video player from loading. To watch this content, you may need to disable it on this site.
10:03
Germany says 'deeply concerned' about Israel offensive in Gaza
Germany is "deeply concerned" about the situation in Gaza, where it said an intensified Israeli offensive could endanger the lives of hostages, including Germans, the foreign ministry said Saturday.
The offensive "could put the lives of the remaining hostages, including those of German hostages, in danger", said a ministry statement.
"A broad military offensive also risks worsening further the catastrophic humanitarian situation for Gaza's population and the remaining hostages," it added.
Arab leaders condemn Israel's bombing of Gaza
Arab leaders at the summit in Baghdad called Saturday for an immediate end to the war in Gaza, accusing Israel in starker language of trying to drive the Palestinians out of the enclave altogether after it ramped up its bombing campaign.
Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, whose country is one of the main mediators in Gaza peace talks, described Israel's actions as "systematic crimes" aimed at "obliterating and annihilating" the Palestinians and "ending their existence in the Gaza Strip".
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, the summit's host, said Israel was engaged in genocide.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who addressed the summit, said "nothing justifies the collective punishment of the Palestinian people".
'Enough with the attacks', Italy says
Italy's government on Saturday also increased its calls for Israel to stop its deadly military strikes in Gaza, with Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani saying: "Enough with the attacks."
"We no longer want to see the Palestinian people suffer," Tajani said during a trip to Sicily, in remarks relayed by his spokesman.
"Let's come to a ceasefire, let's free the hostages, but let's leave people who are victims of Hamas alone," he was cited as saying.
Trump 'lied' about using power to seek peace in Gaza, Iran's Khamenei says
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused US President Donald Trump of lying about using American power to establish peace in war-ravaged Gaza.
"Trump claimed he wants to use power to achieve peace, he lied," Khamenei said in a speech televised on Saturday. "He and the American officials, and American administrations, have used power to support the massacre in Gaza, to ignite wars wherever they could and to back their own mercenaries."
After a six-week ceasefire, Israel imposed a total blockade of Gaza and resumed its military campaign in March. It blames Hamas fighters for harm to civilians for operating among them, which Hamas denies.
Read more'Deadly blockade' leaves Gaza aid work on verge of collapse
Israel's declared goal is the elimination of the military and governmental capabilities of Hamas, which attacked Israeli communities on October 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and seizing more than 250 hostages.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
English (US) · 