Spain Sanctions “Israeli” Aggression in Gaza with Arms Ban, Port Closures, Aid Boost

By Staff and Agencies

In a powerful show of international solidarity with the Palestinian people, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Monday announced nine decisive measures aimed at holding the apartheid “Israeli” entity accountable for its relentless assault on Gaza — which Sánchez explicitly described as a “genocide”.

Speaking in a televised address, Sánchez called on the global community to act with urgency as the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza worsens by the day.

“We know these measures won’t end the war crimes,” Sánchez said, “but we hope they pressure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and ease Palestinian suffering. Spain alone cannot stop the war, but that doesn’t mean we can’t try”.

Among the key steps, Spain will immediately legislate a permanent ban on weapons exports to the “Israeli” entity and block all ships carrying military-grade fuel or arms destined for “Israeli” occupation forces from docking at Spanish ports.

Similarly, military aircraft transporting military materials to the entity will be prohibited from Spanish airspace.

In addition, Spain will implement entry bans for individuals implicated in war crimes or human rights violations in Gaza, and prohibit imports of goods from illegal “Israeli” settlements built on occupied Palestinian land, in direct opposition to the entity’s ongoing colonization policies.

Consular services for “Israeli” settlers living in occupied Palestinian territories will also be reduced as part of Madrid’s refusal to legitimize the occupation.

Going beyond sanctions, Spain is also ramping up its humanitarian involvement in Gaza, increasing its aid presence in Rafah with more personnel and emergency support and pledging a €10 million contribution to UNRWA, the UN agency supporting Palestinian refugees.

Looking ahead, Spain will allocate an additional €150 million in humanitarian aid for Gaza by 2026.

These moves come as Gaza reels from nearly a year of devastating “Israeli” bombardment and siege. Since October 2023, over 35,000 Palestinians — the majority of them women and children — have been martyred, according to Gaza health authorities.

The apartheid “Israeli” entity’s indiscriminate attacks on civilian infrastructure, hospitals, refugee camps and aid convoys have drawn international condemnation and are now the subject of a genocide case at the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

In response to Sánchez’s actions, the apartheid “Israeli” entity lashed out, accusing him of antisemitism — a charge Spain’s Foreign Ministry dismissed as a tired deflection tactic used to shield the entity from accountability.

The “Israeli” entity’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar announced a retaliatory entry ban on Spain’s Deputy PM Yolanda Díaz and Youth Minister Sira Rego, both of whom belong to Sumar, the leftist coalition partner in Sánchez’s government.

Spain, in turn, recalled its ambassador from “Tel Aviv” for consultations, defending its actions as both legal and moral.

The Foreign Ministry emphasized Spain’s longstanding opposition to antisemitism, citing the recent granting of citizenship to 72,000 Sephardic Jews expelled during the Inquisition, while reiterating that criticism of the “Israeli” entity’s war crimes cannot be equated with bigotry.