\n Sanchez is an outspoken critic of Israel’s war on Gaza [Alberto Gardin\/SOPA Images\/LightRocket via Getty]<\/p>\n
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Thursday became the most prominent European leader to describe the situation in Gaza as a “genocide”, as rescuers in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory said Israeli forces killed 56 people.<\/p>\n
After more than 20 months of devastating conflict, rights groups say Gaza’s population of more than two million face famine-like conditions.<\/p>\n
Israel began allowing supplies to trickle in at the end of May following a blockade of more than two months, but distribution has been marred by chaotic scenes<\/a> and near-daily reports of Israeli forces firing on those waiting to collect rations.<\/p>\n Hundreds have been killed<\/a> since the US and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation become operations in late May.<\/p>\n Israel meanwhile is pressing its bombardment of the territory, in a military offensive it claims is aimed at defeating militant group Hamas.<\/p>\n Spain’s Sanchez said Gaza was in a “catastrophic situation of genocide” and urged the European Union to immediately suspend its cooperation deal with Israel.<\/p>\n The comments represent the strongest condemnation to date by Sanchez, an outspoken critic of Israel’s offensive who is one of the first European leaders, and the most senior, to use the term “genocide” to describe the situation in Gaza.<\/p>\n Speaking ahead of an EU summit in Brussels, Sanchez mentioned an EU report which found “indications” Israel was breaching its rights obligations under the cooperation deal<\/a>, which forms the basis for trade ties.<\/p>\n