Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Monday unveiled a set of nine measures aimed at stopping the genocide in Gaza.
“What Israel is doing is not defending itself, it is exterminating a defenseless population,” Sanchez said.
In a televised address, Sánchez stated that Spain would urgently legislate a permanent ban on arms exports to Israel, formalizing a policy that had already been in place in practice since 2023. He also announced that ships carrying fuel for Israeli forces would be barred from Spanish ports, while aircraft transporting defense material would be prohibited from using Spanish airspace.
The package further includes a ban on entry to Spain for individuals deemed directly involved in war crimes, human rights violations, or the conflict in Gaza. Imports of products from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and Gaza will also be prohibited. Spanish consular services for Spanish citizens residing in those settlements will be restricted to essential matters only.
Spain will increase its presence in Rafah, expand cooperation with the Palestinian Authority on food and medical aid, and boost contributions to the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) by €10 million. In addition, Madrid will commit €150 million in humanitarian aid to Gaza in 2026.
“We know these measures will not be enough to end the war crimes, but we hope they help to pressure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people,” Sánchez said. “Spain alone cannot stop the war, but that doesn’t mean we cannot try.”
The Spanish prime minister, who has been one of the most outspoken EU leaders on the war in Gaza, reiterated that while Israel has the right to exist and defend itself, “it does not have the right to exterminate a defenseless people.”
