Shafaq News/ Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani warned US President Joe Biden and European Union leaders on Sunday that the Middle East is on the verge of a "dangerous slippery slope" that could lead to prolonged wars, threatening global stability.

In a letter addressed to Biden and EU leaders, al-Sudani cautioned that the region is facing escalating threats due to the ongoing Israeli war with Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza, which has expanded into neighboring Lebanon.

“With the passing of a year since the events of October 7, 2023, and the continued Zionist aggression on Gaza, extending to our brotherly Lebanon, and threatening the entire region, Iraq recalls its early warning about the consequences of this expansion,” al-Sudani said in a statement.

He emphasized Iraq's longstanding opposition to what he described as the "occupying entity’s" efforts to widen the conflict and the international community's failure to curb these actions.

“We are now at the precipice of a dangerous slippery slope that could drag the region and the world into continuous wars,” al-Sudani said, highlighting the global ramifications, including potential shocks to the world economy and energy supplies.

The Iraqi premier praised French President Emmanuel Macron for calling to halt arms supplies to Israel and advocating for an end to the conflict. "This is a position that comes from a true understanding of the dangers facing the region," al-Sudani noted.

He stressed that his government has worked to shield Iraq from the escalating violence, "with significant effort and cooperation with global partners," but called for renewed focus on protecting civilians and preventing a broader war.

“We must make it our top priority to stop the targeting of civilians and save the region from the ravages of a war that will leave no winners, only death, destruction, and chaos,” al-Sudani added, reaffirming Iraq’s commitment to diplomatic efforts for de-escalation.

At least 26 people have been killed and 93 others wounded after Israeli airstrikes targeted a mosque and a school sheltering displaced people in the Gaza Strip, the Hamas-run health ministry has said.

The strikes on the mosque and the school, near the Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, came as the war between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas in the enclave approaches its first anniversary tomorrow.

Israel has destroyed hospitals, schools and residential areas, claiming Hamas was operating under them but providing no proof of its claims. Rights organisations say these attacks amount to war crimes.

According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, at least 41,870 Palestinians have been killed and 97,166 others injured since the war began on October 7.