EU warns Israel attacks on UN peacekeepers is a 'grave violation' of international law

The 27 member states of the European Union have demanded that Israel "immediately" stop its attacks against the United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

Josep Borrell, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said in a statement on behalf of the bloc that the attacks against UN peacekeepers constitute "a serious violation of international law and are totally unacceptable."

Later, in Luxembourg, Borrell criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for demanding the withdrawl of UNIFIL troops. 

"He is not the one who decides whether the mission stays or not, it is the United Nations Security Council," Borrell recalled.

Meanwhile, Spanish Prime Minsiter Pedro Sánchez called on the international community to "wake up" and to "immediately" suspend shipments of weapons to Israel.

At a conference on the challenges of globalization, organized by the Prisa Group in Barcelona, ​​Sánchez urged "decisive" action against Netanyahu, as "he only wants to impose a new regional order by force," according to the Spanish PM.

The Socialist leader also condemned Netanyahu's demands that UNIFIL troops be withdrawn, and said that commitment to international law is now more important than ever "after seeing what happens on the ground."