There are fears in Europe that the conflict between Israel and Hamas will escalate even further and have a greater impact than the current one. The focus is not only on the purely war aspect, but on the “huge humanitarian crisis” that is already being experienced, with the population trying to leave Gaza. This scenario has led to an extraordinary European Council being held electronically this Tuesday.
After him, Pedro Sánchez appeared in La Moncloa, an institutional declaration without admitting questions, in which he reiterated Israel’s “recognition” to defend itself from the Hamas terrorist attack, within “international law and international humanitarian law”, but demands that this country guarantee “the protection of the civilian population” in Gaza. A red line that comes only hours after Hamas denounced the death, on Tuesday afternoon, of hundreds of people in an Israeli bombing of a Gaza hospital.
And not only that. In a game of diplomatic balance, Israel is first granted its right to defend itself against a terrorist attack, but immediately afterwards limitations are made and limits are placed on this country’s actions. Clear and direct messages: “Israel must ensure humanitarian access at all times and that essential supplies of water and electricity are maintained throughout Gaza.”
This public position, and the increase in aid to Palestine in terms of cooperation and humanitarian aid to 21 million this year, occur one day after the diplomatic clash with Israel, whose embassy in Spain issued a statement against the “immoral statements ” from some ministers – in reference to those of Sumar and Podemos, without expressly citing them -, pointing out that “certain elements within the Spanish Government have chosen to align themselves with this ISIS-type terrorism.”
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, told the Israeli ambassador in a telephone call that he considered the statement an “unfriendly gesture” and that there would be a response. The Government, which speaks of a “specific incident”, considers the clash settled and seeks to minimize damage by disavowing the “opinions” of the ministers of the minority partner. Of course, he has disavowed the ministers and positions of Podemos and Sumar in matters of foreign policy: “In foreign policy there are only two authorized voices: that of the President of the Government and that of the Foreign Minister.”
Sánchez has explained that Spanish cooperation will contribute an additional 4 million to Palestine until the end of the year, which would put the total in 2023 at 21.5 million, 30% more than in 2023.
In his speech, Sánchez confirmed that the Spanish Iván Illarramendi is among the nearly 200 kidnapped by Hamas.
In this regard, he has raised as a “demand” the “immediate, unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas.”
In his speech, in line with and in line with the press conference held in Brussels by Charles Michel, president of the European Council, and Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, Sánchez made the self-criticism that in recent years “The international community has looked the other way and has not paid enough attention to the conflict.”
And he has outlined Spain’s two priorities at the moment: “It is urgent to address the humanitarian crisis and avoid at all costs an escalation that causes the conflict to extend to the region.”
