Spain Imposes Arms Embargo on Israel in Sweeping Measures Against Gaza Genocide

Spain has announced a sweeping package of sanctions against Israel, including a total arms embargo, in what Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez described as an effort to “stop the genocide in Gaza” and “support the Palestinian population.”

Sánchez: “This is extermination, not self-defence”

In a speech posted on his official X account, Sánchez drew a sharp line between legitimate defence and indiscriminate violence:

“There is a difference between defending your country and bombing hospitals or starving innocent children. This is an unjustifiable attack on the civilian population. Sixty thousand dead, two million displaced, half of them children. This is not self-defence … it is the extermination of a defenceless people.”

The Measures in Detail

The package, to be formalised through a royal decree law and ratified by parliament, makes official what has been de facto since October 2023:

• Total arms embargo: ban on the purchase and sale of weapons, ammunition, and military equipment to Israel.

• Logistical restrictions: prohibition of ships carrying fuel for the Israeli army from docking at Spanish ports; denial of Spanish airspace to aircraft transporting defence material.

• Travel bans: restrictions on entry for individuals “directly involved in genocide, human rights violations and war crimes” in Gaza—a move that could include Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and members of his cabinet.

• Economic sanctions: ban on imports from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.

• Humanitarian support: €10 million in new funding for UNRWA and a total of €150 million in humanitarian aid for Gaza by 2026.

Legal and Diplomatic Context

The measures come against the backdrop of International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes, including starvation of civilians. Many European governments have faced criticism for refusing to enforce these warrants. The United States went further by imposing sanctions on ICC prosecutor Karim Khan.

Spain’s move sets it apart as one of the most forceful European critics of Israel’s Gaza campaign. It follows Madrid’s formal recognition of a Palestinian state in May 2024, a step taken by only a handful of European nations.

Israel’s Response

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar condemned the Spanish measures as “anti-Semitic,” accusing Sánchez’s socialist government of leading a “hostile anti-Israel line, with uncontrolled and hateful rhetoric.” Israel also announced it would bar two Spanish ministers from entering the country.

Spain responded firmly, summoning its ambassador back from Tel Aviv for consultations and rejecting what it called “false and slanderous accusations of antisemitism.”

“The measures relating to the inhumane situation in Gaza and the West Bank reflect the majority opinion of Spanish society and are adopted within the framework of its sovereignty and in line with its defence of peace, human rights and international law,” Spain’s Foreign Ministry said.

A Shift in Europe?

Spain’s escalation adds to mounting global pressure as calls grow for accountability over Israel’s actions in Gaza. By linking its embargo directly to genocide prevention and international law, Madrid may set a precedent for other European nations to follow.