Spain intensifies criticism of Israeli offensive in Gaza. Israel responds with travel bans

MADRID (AP) — Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Monday ratcheted up his criticism of Israel’s actions in the 23-month Israel-Hamas warfare, to which Israel responded by banning two left-wing Spanish ministers from the nation.

Sánchez made the feedback while saying a raft of measures he said his authorities was taking to stress Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s authorities to tackle the humanitarian disaster induced by its army offensive 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 said.

Besides formalizing an arms embargo, which the Spanish government says has been de facto in effect since October 2023, Spain will ban ships carrying fuel for Israel’s armed forces from passing through Spanish ports, and increase its humanitarian aid toward Gaza in 2026 to reach 150 million euros ($176 million), he said.

The measures would need to be approved in Parliament.

Other steps included a pledge to increase aid for the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, known as UNRWA, and to impose an embargo on goods made in Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Additionally, anyone who directly participates in what Sánchez termed the “genocide” in Gaza wouldn’t be allowed to enter Spanish territory, he said.

“We know that all these measures will not be enough to stop the invasion or the war crimes, but we hope that they will serve to add pressure on Prime Minister Netanyahu and his government to alleviate some of the suffering that the Palestinian population is enduring,” Sánchez said.

In response, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Sánchez was trying to divert attention from the corruption scandals affecting his Socialist Party, and characterized the Spanish government’s actions as “antisemitic.”

Saar said on X Israel had banned Spain’s Labor Minister Yolanda Díaz and Youth Minister Sira Rego from traveling to the country. Both belong to the government’s left-wing coalition partner Sumar. Saar said the ministers would be prohibited from entering Israel because they had made statements calling Israel a “genocidal state” and supported efforts to sanction or boycott Israel.

Spain’s authorities has been an outspoken critic of Israel’s warfare in Gaza, which started after Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 people, largely civilians, on Oct. 7, 2023, and kidnapped 251 hostages. Israel’s offensive has killed more than 64,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which doesn’t say how many have been civilians or combatants.

Last 12 months, Spain joined Norway and Ireland to formally acknowledge a Palestinian state and was the first European nation to ask a U.N. court for permission to be a part of South Africa’s case accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza.

On Monday, Saar downplayed the effect the Spanish government’s actions would have on Israel.

“If they want to hold or halt defense connections with Israel,” Saar told reporters, “who do you think will lose from that? We don’t need Spain to protect the land of Israel.”

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Associated Press author Julia Frankel in Jerusalem contributed to this report.