As Israel’s airstrike in Gaza continue to take Palestinian lives, Spain’s acting Minister of Social Rights, Ione Belarra called on European countries to react and impose extensive sanctions against Israel.
This Wednesday, and in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza, Spain’s acting Minister of Social Rights, Ione Belarra, rebuked Europe for the deafening silence in the face of Israel’s crimes in Gaza and called on European countries to impose diplomatic, economic, and arms sanctions against Israel.
In a statement issued this Wednesday evening, Belarra said that “Israel has left hundreds of thousands of people without electricity, food, or water, and is bombing civilians, which constitutes collective punishment, serious violation of international humanitarian law and can be considered a war crime.” Belarra also accused the EU and US of encouraging Israel to feel free in practicing the policies of discrimination, racism and aggression that “seriously violate human rights.”
But that was not the end of Belarra ‘s outrage against Israel’s airstrikes and killing so many Palestinians. On Wednesday night, she took on Twitter, currently known as X, and threatened Israel of an international trial for its crimes in Gaza.
In her tweet, Belarra wrote that it is still possible to stop the “genocide” and also called for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and all other political leaders, who bombed civilians in the Gaza Strip, to be brought before the International Criminal Court.
For the 20th consecutive day, the Israeli occupation army continues to carry out airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, killing more than 5 thousand, wounding over 12 thousand, and displacing more than 1 million Palestinians.
Spain’s deputy Prime Minister, Yolanda Diaz, also joined Belarra and on Thursday, called on the international community to put pressure on Israel to avoid “a massacre” in Gaza, “The international community cannot look the other way. The EU too, must demand that Israel stop the plans that are causing a massacre,” Diaz posted on X.
Spain to boost help to Gaza, despite EU stance
Spain’s support for Palestinians does not confine to words only. This Wednesday, Acting Foreign Affairs Minister of Spain, Jose Manuel Albares, announced that Spain will boost aid to Palestine. Albares said that besides arguing for humanitarian aid and cooperation for Palestine to remain at the European level, Madrid is stepping up its support. He said Spain had budgeted €8 million ($8.5 million) in direct support for Palestinians this year, but the country has approved a “first package of” another €1 million in humanitarian aid “because we believe it is needed at this time,” he told Spanish broadcaster La Sexta.
Following Hamas attacks to Israel, Oliver Varhelyi, European commissioner for neighborhood and enlargement, announced that all payments to Palestine from Europe, its biggest donor, have been “immediately suspended and all budget proposals are postponed until further notice.”
Slamming the EU’s decision to freeze funding to Palestine amid the ongoing conflict with Israel, Albares also noted that “this decision is outrageous, it’s an authentic betrayal by Europe of its own founding principles. The European Commission must rectify and Europe must lead an international action for peace, not punish an entire people.” Spain is one of the few Western countries that following the start of Israel-Hamas war, announced it is boosting its aid to Palestine.
