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Spanish PM calls situation in Gaza ‘catastrophic’ genocide
Speaking ahead of a European Union summit in Brussels, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Gaza was in a “catastrophic situation of genocide” and urged the EU to immediately suspend cooperation with Israel.
Sanchez mentioned an EU report which found “indications” Israel was breaching its human rights obligations under a cooperation deal with the European bloc, which forms the basis for trade ties.
His comments represent the strongest condemnation to date by the Spanish premier, who was already an outspoken critic of Israel’s offensive in Gaza, which has killed more than 56,000 Palestinians since October 2023.
Israel lashes out at Spanish PM Sanchez’s Gaza ‘genocide’ comments
Israel’s embassy in Madrid has accused Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez of “demonising” Israel, and saying his country was “on the wrong side of history”.
The statement, which was also posted on the embassy’s X account, did not directly reference Sanchez’s statement earlier at an EU meeting where he called Israel’s war on Gaza a “genocide” and urged the bloc to suspend cooperation with Israel.
“This is not only deeply regrettable: it is morally indefensible,” the embassy said. “Let us be clear: Israel, a democratic country facing existential threats on multiple fronts, has the right — and the duty — to defend its citizens,” it added.
In response, the Spanish government called the Israeli statement “unacceptable” and summoned the embassy’s charge d’affaires.
Iranian FM says bill suspending cooperation with UN nuclear watchdog ‘binding’
As we have been reporting, Iran has passed a parliamentary bill suspending its cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
A short while ago, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the bill is now “binding” after being passed by lawmakers and approved by Iran’s Guardian Council, the country’s highest authority.
“The bill that was approved by [parliament] and has been approved by the Guardian Council today [Thursday] … is binding on us and there is no doubt about its implementation,” he told state TV.
“From now on, our relationship and cooperation with the [IAEA] will take a new form,” Araghchi added.
