The ministry included figures released Friday that 7,719 people were wounded in the latest Israel-Hezbollah war that broke out March 2.

Houssam Naddaf said no words could capture the shock of seeing an Israeli soldier smash a crucifix in his family's private garden in the southern Lebanese village of Debel — an image he recognized instantly as it spread online.

"I saw it on the internet like everyone else," he said. Naddaf had not been able to go to the house in person to see the damage because of restrictions on movement imposed by Israeli forces in the area.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Friday refused to be drawn into a dispute with the United States over reports that the Pentagon is weighing whether to punish members of NATO that fail to support American operations in the Iran war.

Among those in the firing line is Spain, which has refused to allow U.S. forces involved in the war to use bases on its territory or airspace. Spain says that U.S.-Israeli actions in the Iran war contravenes international law.

First came the racist abuse against Vinícius Júnior. Then the unwanted kiss by the nation's top soccer official. And now Spain is dealing with the fallout of anti-Muslim chants during a friendly match against Egypt.

Success on the pitch for both Spain's women and men's teams has been partially overshadowed in recent years by incidents of racism, sexism and xenophobia.

Three Palestinian teenagers have been killed in the occupied West Bank this week in a spike of renewed violence, the latest shot dead by Israeli forces during a mid-week raid.

Palestinians in the northern West Bank village of Tell mourned the death of Youssef Shtayyeh on Friday after health officials said he was gunned down by Israeli forces in the nearby city of Nablus.

Some residents in Beirut believe south Lebanon should be included in a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.

They said a deal will not be sustainable without a lasting truce between Iran and the United States.

Pope Leo XIV urged the United States and Iran to return to talks to end the war Thursday, in a wide-ranging press conference en route home from his trip to Africa.

He called for a new "culture of peace" to replace the recourse to violence whenever conflicts arise.

Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni on Thursday thanked Italian peacekeepers serving in southern Lebanon for donating a new crucifix to the village of Debel after the original was destroyed by an Israeli soldier in an incident that drew international criticism.

Meloni said images showing the crucifix being delivered and placed in the same spot as the one destroyed days earlier conveyed “a message of hope, dialogue and peace.”

Residents in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv expressed mixed views on talks between Israel and Lebanon, with opinions ranging from calls for diplomacy to deep skepticism over Hezbollah’s role.

“I always believe that you can talk, but you have to be prepared for war,” said Ben Kurtzer, a Jerusalem resident.

Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri said ministers on Thursday discussed joining the International Criminal Court, a permanent tribunal that prosecutes individuals for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, for “a specific period.”

The move would mark a significant shift for Lebanon, which is not a member of the court. Mitri said the move would enable the ICC to “look into war crimes and humanitarian crimes which were committed on Lebanese territory.”