Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez stated that Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip constitute the extermination of a defenseless people, and announced a series of steps – from banning the passage of vessels carrying fuel for the Israeli military to significantly increasing humanitarian aid to Palestinians. Israel, in turn, responded with accusations of antisemitism and banned two Spanish ministers from entering the country. This is reported by CNN, according to UNN.
"This is not self-defense, it's not even an attack – it's the extermination of a defenseless people. This is a violation of all humanitarian laws, and despite this, the international community is unable to stop this tragedy,"
In addition to officially imposing an arms embargo, which, according to the Spanish government, has effectively been in place since October 2023, Spain will prohibit vessels carrying fuel for the Israeli armed forces from passing through Spanish ports, and will increase humanitarian aid to Gaza in 2026 to 150 million euros (176 million dollars).
However, this decision must be approved by the Spanish parliament.
Other measures reportedly include a commitment to increase aid to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, known as UNRWA, and to impose an embargo on goods produced in Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.
"We know that all these measures will not be enough to stop the invasion or war crimes, but we hope they will help increase pressure on Prime Minister Netanyahu and his government to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian population,"
At the same time, Israeli Foreign Minister Gidon Sa'ar stated that Sánchez is trying to divert attention from corruption scandals affecting his Socialist Party, and called the Spanish government's actions "antisemitic."
Sa'ar stated that Israel has banned the Spanish Minister of Labor and the Minister of Youth from entering the country.
Recall
The Israel Defense Forces announced the creation of a new humanitarian zone in the southern Gaza Strip in the city of Khan Younis.