Spanish PM: ‘Israel, Netanyahu heading towards international isolation’

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez urged: “The European Union should debate whether to continue its strategic relationship with Israel if the European Commission finds that Israel has breached humanitarian law in its war on Gaza,” which has been ongoing for the past six months.

Sanchez stressed to Qatar’s Al Jazeera channel on Thursday evening that there must be international determination to end the Israeli war and ensure a ceasefire in Gaza.

He added that Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are moving toward international isolation with their strategy and the increasing death toll in Gaza.

Sanchez asked his Irish counterpart in February to review whether Israel was adhering to its human rights obligations in Gaza, adding: “In the case of the EU, the situation would be that there’s an open door to have a debate within the European Council in order to see if we continue with this strategic relation or not. But this is something for which we first need to have the assessment of the European Commission.”

Regarding the killing of seven World Central Kitchen foreign staff members in Gaza on Monday, Sanchez stressed that this was “not acceptable” and that the terrible and dangerous conditions must be condemned, as they are relief workers working there because people in Gaza are suffering from hunger and require food.

On Monday, the Israeli army targeted the World Central Kitchen convoy in the city of Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza Strip, killing seven foreigners holding Australian, Polish, British, American, Canadian and Palestinian citizenship.

Sanchez pressed that Israel must take measures as soon as possible to deliver aid trucks to Gaza and reiterated the need for a permanent ceasefire, calling for the international recognition of Palestine as a sovereign state with full membership in the United Nations.

Read: UN Human Rights Council adopts resolution to hold Israel accountable for Gaza war crimes