Spain has announced a series of new measures aimed at increasing pressure on Israel amid the ongoing Gaza conflict. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez confirmed that the country will impose transport restrictions, trade embargoes, and entry bans while boosting humanitarian aid to Palestinians.
The move marks one of the strongest policy shifts in Europe against Israel in recent months.
Transport and Trade Restrictions
Spain will prohibit Israel-bound ships and aircraft carrying weapons from using its ports or airspace. In addition, Madrid will enforce an embargo on goods produced in Israeli settlements located in the occupied Palestinian territories. These measures are intended to restrict the flow of weapons and trade linked to the conflict.
Humanitarian Aid and Entry Bans
Alongside restrictions, Spain will increase financial support for the Palestinian Authority and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). Prime Minister Sánchez also announced that individuals directly involved in what he described as “genocide” would be banned from entering Spain.
Diplomatic Fallout with Israel
Israel’s Foreign Minister, Gideon Saar, condemned the Spanish measures, accusing Sánchez of attempting to divert attention from domestic corruption scandals and labelling the actions as “antisemitic.” In response, Israel imposed entry bans on Spain’s Labour Minister Yolanda Díaz and Youth Minister Sira Rego, both members of the far-left Sumar party, a junior coalition partner in Sánchez’s government.
Spain’s latest decisions underscore rising diplomatic tensions between Madrid and Tel Aviv. While Sánchez frames the measures as necessary to ease Palestinian suffering, Israel views them as hostile and politically motivated. The situation adds another layer of complexity to Europe’s divided stance on the Gaza conflict, with further repercussions likely in bilateral relations.
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Source: gCAPTAIN
