Israel’s foreign minister has summoned the ambassadors of Spain and Belgium for a “harsh rebuke” over comments by the two countries’ leaders about the Israeli offensive in Gaza, AFP reports.

Visiting the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt on Friday, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said the “operation needs to respect international humanitarian law” and denounced the destruction in the Gaza Strip as “unacceptable”.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez echoed his views, saying the “indiscriminate killings of innocent civilians” in the Palestinian territory was “completely unacceptable”.

Both leaders called for a permanent ceasefire in the conflict-battered territory.

Foreign Minister Eli Cohen “gave the order to summon the ambassadors of these countries for a harsh rebuke”, his office said in a statement, accusing the two leaders of supporting “terrorism”.

In a separate statement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he “strongly” condemned the comments by the European leaders.

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