In brief
On Monday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez ratcheted up his criticism of Israel's military offensive in Gaza, labeling it as genocide. In response, Israel banned two Spanish ministers from entry. Spain announced measures including an arms embargo, banning fuel shipments to Israel, and increasing humanitarian aid to Gaza. Israeli officials accused Sánchez of trying to deflect attention from domestic issues and described the actions as antisemitic. The conflict has resulted in significant casualties, with over 64,000 Palestinians reported dead since October 2023, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
MADRID (AP) — Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Monday escalated his criticism of Israel’s actions in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, which has been raging for 23 months. This move prompted Israel to respond by banning two left-wing Spanish ministers from entering the country.
While detailing a series of new measures, Sánchez announced his government's efforts to exert further pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address the humanitarian crisis emerging from Israel's military operations in the Gaza Strip.
“This is not self-defense; it’s not even an attack — it’s the extermination of a defenseless people. It is a violation of all humanitarian laws, and despite that, the international community is failing to stop this tragedy,” Sánchez proclaimed.
Among the proposed steps, Spain is set to formalize an arms embargo, which has been unofficially in place since October 2023, prohibit vessels transporting fuel for Israel’s military from docking at Spanish ports, and commit to a €150 million ($176 million) increase in humanitarian assistance to Gaza for 2026.
Other measures include a pledge to increase support for the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) and impose a ban on products made in Israeli settlements across the occupied Palestinian territories. Sánchez stated that anyone directly involved in what he termed “genocide” would be barred from entering Spain.
“We know that all these measures will not stop the invasion or war crimes, but we hope they will pressure Prime Minister Netanyahu to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian population,” Sánchez added.
In response, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar accused Sánchez of using the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to distract from corruption scandals within his Socialist Party, categorizing Spain's actions as antisemitic. Saar confirmed that the Spanish government banned Labor Minister Yolanda Díaz and Youth Minister Sira Rego from entering Israel due to their statements criticizing the Israeli government.
Sánchez's government has consistently challenged Israel’s operations in Gaza, initiated after Hamas militants killed around 1,200 individuals, predominantly civilians, and took 251 hostages on October 7, 2023. The subsequent Israeli offensive has resulted in the deaths of over 64,000 Palestinians, as per figures from the Gaza Health Ministry, which have not detailed military or civilian casualties.
Earlier, Spain had joined Norway and Ireland in officially recognizing Palestinian statehood and was the first European nation to request permission from a U.N. court to join South Africa’s case, accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza. On Monday, Saar downplayed the significance of Spain's actions, implying that Israel would not be affected by a reduction in defense connections with Spain.
“If they want to hold or halt defense connections with Israel,” Saar remarked, “who do you think will lose from that? We don’t need Spain to protect the land of Israel.”