Spain hosts European and Arab countries to pressure Israel to stop the war in Gaza
Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said the international community should consider imposing sanctions on Israel to stop the war in Gaza, ahead of a meeting in Madrid of European and Arab countries on Sunday to urge Israel to halt its offensive.
Countries that Israel has long relied on as allies are adding their voices to the growing international pressure after it expanded its military operations in Gaza.
The two-month-long aid blockade has exacerbated shortages of food, water, fuel, and medicine in the Palestinian enclave, raising fears of famine.
Aid organizations say the amount of supplies Israel has allowed into Gaza in recent days is far below needs.
Albares told France Info radio before the meeting that Madrid was hosting 20 countries and international organizations on Sunday with the aim of stopping this inhumane war.
He stressed that humanitarian aid must enter Gaza in large quantities, without obstacles, and without Israeli control, describing the Gaza Strip as an open wound for humanity.
He added, “Silence at this moment is complicity in this massacre… and that is why we are meeting”.
Representatives from European countries, including France, Britain, Germany, and Italy, as well as envoys from Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, Morocco, the Arab League, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, are participating in the meeting.
Brazil, Norway, Iceland, Ireland, and Slovenia, which, like Spain, have recognized the State of Palestine, are also participating in the meeting.
After the European Union decided this week to review its cooperation agreement with Israel, Albares said, “We must consider imposing sanctions… We must do everything, and take everything into consideration, to stop this war”.
He added that Spain would also urge its partners to impose an arms embargo on Israel and not rule out individual sanctions against those who want to eliminate the two-state solution once and for all.
Sunday’s meeting is expected to push for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said last week that his country would submit a draft resolution to the United Nations requesting the International Court of Justice to rule on “Israel’s compliance with its international obligations regarding the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza”.
He added that Spain would also support another UN draft resolution calling on Israel to end the humanitarian blockade, and ensure full and unrestricted access for humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Since the start of the war, 53,939 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, the majority of them civilians, and 122,797 have been injured.
At least 3,785 Palestinians have been killed since Israel resumed its strikes and military operations on March 18 after a fragile two-month truce.
