Colombia urges Israel's Netanyahu to respect ceasefire, stresses global sanctions for failure to comply

Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Thursday urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to respect the recently declared US-Iran ceasefire, stressing that failure to comply should trigger global sanctions against Tel Aviv.

“Netanyahu must respect the total ceasefire that was agreed upon and respect the population and territory of Lebanon,” Petro said on US social media company X.

He stressed that the “entire world must impose sanctions if the agreed-upon pact is disobeyed.”

“What is at stake is the life of humanity,” he added.

The Israeli army escalated airstrikes across Lebanon since Wednesday, killing at least 303 people and injuring 1,150 others despite the announcement of a two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran.

The US and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire on Wednesday, brokered by Pakistan, as a step toward a broader deal to halt a conflict launched by Washington and Tel Aviv against Tehran on Feb. 28 that has left thousands dead and wounded.