Number of Palestinians killed is ‘truly unbearable’, says Spanish PM

Pedro Sanchez says all civilians must be protected in Israel-Hamas war and reiterates call for two-state solution

• Israel-Hamas war - live updates

Spain's prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, has urged Israel to rethink its offensive in Gaza, saying the number of dead Palestinians is truly unbearable", and that the response to Hamas's terrorist attacks last month cannot include the deaths of innocent civilians, including thousands of children".

Sanchez's blunt pleas came during a visit to the Middle East with the Belgian prime minister, Alexander de Croo, during which he called for a peace conference and reiterated that the creation of a Palestinian state remained the best way to bring peace and security to the region.