Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has called for the European Union to suspend its free trade agreement with Israel over its actions in Gaza and Lebanon.
For months, both Spain and Ireland have been in talks with other EU countries who want a review of the EU-Israel Association Agreement on the basis that Israel may be breaching the agreement’s human rights clause.
Sanchez has moved to ramp up the pressure on other members following another escalation in the conflict which saw tents housing displaced Palestinians inside a hospital complex targetted.
The attack at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in central Gaza’s Deir el-Balah city in the early hours of Monday hit tents where many displaced Palestinians had been sheltering.
Videos showed rescuers scrambling to save people as they struggled to contain a major fire.
“What happened was that we woke up to smoke, flames, fire and burning pieces falling on the tents from every direction. The explosions terrified us in our tents and outside where we live behind Al-Aqsa Hospital,” Om Ahmad Radi, a survivor at the scene, told Al Jazeera.
“The fire trucks couldn’t get here. There were so many burned and charred bodies all over the place. The amount of fire and explosions was enormous. We witnessed one of the most horrible and brutal nights.”
Volunteer surgeon Mohammad Tahir said they were dealing with victims who had burns on 60 to 80 percent of their bodies – many of whom won’t survive.
The US, meanwhile, has urged Israel to stop shooting at UN peacekeepers in Lebanon, following two incidents in 48 hours.
The leaders of France, Italy and Spain issued a joint statement condemning Israel’s actions, saying they were unjustifiable and should immediately come to an end.