Spain urges Israel to halt its ground raids in Lebanon

MADRID (Reuters) - Israel should cease conducting ground raids in southern Lebanon to avoid an escalation of the conflict enveloping the wider region, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares told reporters on Tuesday.

"We insist that the ground incursion should be halted, as we're receiving very worrying information," Albares said, adding that it was "necessary to reach a truce in Lebanon and a ceasefire in Gaza".

Earlier on Tuesday, Israel said intense fighting erupted with the Iran-backed Hezbollah group in south Lebanon after its paratroopers, commandos and armoured units launched raids at the start of a ground incursion.

The operation follows intense airstrikes that have devastated Hezbollah's leadership, including longtime chief Hassan Nasrallah who was assassinated in Beirut last week.

Albares also condemned Hezbollah's rocket attacks on Israeli territory. He said the only way to achieve peace in the Middle East was if belligerents complied with international humanitarian law and respected the protections accorded to civilians.

Since February 2022, Spain has commanded the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and deployed 650 troops along the southern Lebanese border with Israel.

(Reporting by David Latona; editing by Inti Landauro; editing by Mark Heinrich)

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