Spanish court decision "will embolden Israel to shed Palestinian blood"

The Spanish Supreme Court has closed a case being tried under universal jurisdiction in a decision which Hamas has claimed “will embolden Israel to shed Palestinian blood with impunity”. The case centred on a massacre in Eldarg, Gaza, in 2002 in which “dozens of Palestinians” were killed and wounded.

A spokesman for Hamas, Fawzi Barhom, said in a press statement, “The Spanish Supreme Court’s decision will make the Zionist enemies dare to shed even more Palestinian blood and sate their desire for more crimes and atrocities against the Palestinian people. The crime committed in 2002 was condemned by the whole world. It was agreed that it was a crime against the Palestinians, and the criminals must be dealt with by everyone, whether locally or internationally.”

Mr. Barhom called on Spain to reconsider this decision so that the country can rejoin the list of states concerned with Palestinians’ rights.
The court has rejected an objection made by human rights organizations following a decision taken by the National Court last June that led to the suspension of the case. That decision was made on the grounds that Spain had no jurisdiction to consider the case, after which the plaintiffs made their application to the Spanish Supreme Court, the largest and most competent in the land.