Spain increases humanitarian aid for Gaza and imposes arms embargo on Israel

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has ramped up criticism of Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza by announcing a raft of measures he said his government was taking to put further pressure on the Israeli government to address the humanitarian crisis in the Strip.

"This is not self-defence, it's not even an attack — it's the extermination of a defenceless people. It is a violation of all humanitarian laws, and despite that, the international community is failing to stop this tragedy," Sánchez said.

In addition to formalising 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 for Gaza in 2026 to reach €150 million, he said.

The measures would need to be approved in Parliament.

Other steps included a pledge to increase aid for the UN relief agency 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 would not 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 (Benjamin) Netanyahu and his government to alleviate some of the suffering that the Palestinian population is enduring," Sánchez said.

Pushback from Israel

In response, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said Sánchez was trying to divert attention from the corruption scandals affecting his Socialist Party, and characterised the Spanish government's actions as "antisemitic".

Sa'ar said in a post on X that Israel had banned Spain’s Labour Minister Yolanda Díaz and Youth Minister Sira Rego from entering the country.

Both belong to the government's left-wing coalition partner Sumar. Sa'ar 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.

Last year, Spain joined Norway and Ireland to formally recognise a Palestinian state and was the first European country to ask a UN court for permission to join South Africa's case accusing Israel of alleged genocide in Gaza.

On Monday, Sa'ar downplayed the effect the Spanish government's actions would have on Israel.

"If they want to hold or halt defence connections with Israel," Sa’ar told reporters, "who do you think will lose from that? We don't need Spain to protect the land of Israel."

Spain's government, and in particular Sánchez, have been outspoken critics of Israel's war in Gaza, which began after Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in an incursion into southern Israel on 7 October 2023.