Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez says given the number of casualties among civilians, including a huge number of children, in the besieged Gaza Strip during Israel’s weeks-long war, he has “serious doubt” that Tel Aviv respects international humanitarian law.
In an interview with Spanish state-owned broadcaster TVE on Thursday, Sanchez reiterated that Israel’s military action in the densely-populated strip is unacceptable.
“The footage we are seeing and the growing numbers of children dying, I have serious doubt [Israel] is complying with international humanitarian law,” he said. “What we are seeing in Gaza is not acceptable.”
His comments came less than a week after Israel expressed anger with Sanchez and his Belgian counterpart, Alexander De Croo, who demanded the regime stop its massacre of civilians holed up in Gaza.
Tel Aviv also summoned ambassadors of both European countries over their remarks voiced at a joint press conference on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing on November 24.
Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen claimed the remarks by Sanchez and De Croo repeated “false claims” and “gave terrorism a boost.”
In response, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said Cohen’s allegations were “false, unacceptable and out of place.”
Sanchez on Thursday said European countries should discuss the recognition of a Palestinian state.
Israel launched the war on Gaza on October 7, after the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas waged the surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity in response to the regime’s decades-long campaign of devastation against Palestinians.
According to the Gaza-based health ministry, over 15,000 Palestinians, including more than 6,000 children, were killed in Israeli strikes during the 49 days of war. Many more dead people are feared to be under the rubble.
