Lorraine Williamson
Spain’s diplomatic clash with Israel has sharpened again after Benjamin Netanyahu ordered Spanish representatives out of the multinational centre overseeing the Gaza ceasefire, accusing Pedro Sánchez’s government of hostility and waging what he called a “diplomatic war” against Israel.
The decision affects Spain’s role in the Civil-Military Coordination Centre (CMCC) in Kiryat Gat, a US-backed body set up under the October 2025 Gaza ceasefire framework.
The move matters because this is not just another exchange of angry statements. The CMCC was created to help supervise the ceasefire, coordinate stabilisation efforts and support the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza. Being removed from it is a tangible diplomatic step, and a sign that relations between Madrid and Tel Aviv have sunk even lower.
Why Israel has acted now
According to Israeli statements reported by Europa Press and El País, Netanyahu said Spain had repeatedly positioned itself against Israel and had “defamed” Israeli soldiers. Foreign minister Gideon Saar went further, arguing that the Sánchez government’s alleged anti-Israel bias meant Spain could no longer play a useful role in implementing the peace plan backed by Donald Trump.
The backdrop is a widening foreign-policy rift. Reuters reported this week that Spain has stepped up its criticism of Israeli military action in Lebanon, called for the EU to suspend its association agreement with Israel, restricted Spanish airspace for flights linked to weapons transfers, and reopened its embassy in Tehran. Those moves have turned Spain into one of the most outspoken European critics of Israel’s current regional strategy.
A relationship already at breaking point
This latest step did not come out of nowhere. Reuters reported in March that Spain had permanently withdrawn its ambassador to Israel, leaving the embassy in Tel Aviv under a chargé d’affaires, while Israel’s embassy in Madrid is also no longer led by a full ambassador. That marked a serious downgrade in relations even before Friday’s CMCC decision.
The practical consequence is that the diplomatic machinery between the two countries is now thinner, colder and more prone to escalation. When that is combined with Israel’s latest move over Gaza coordination, it becomes harder to argue that this is just rhetorical theatre.
Spain’s domestic response is unlikely to soften
Israel’s attack on Spain’s position has not produced signs of retreat in Madrid. Europa Press reported that deputy prime minister Yolanda Díaz responded by saying all hostility should be directed at “war criminals and genocidal figures”, underlining how little political appetite there is inside the Spanish coalition for backing down.
That is important because Sánchez’s stance on Gaza and the wider regional conflict has remained politically resonant at home, even while it has angered both Israel and parts of the US political establishment. Reuters says Spain’s anti-war position has played well domestically, helping explain why the government has kept pushing its line despite mounting diplomatic costs.
Critic of Israeli conduct in Gaza and Lebanon
For Spain, the loss of access to the CMCC is symbolically damaging because it removes Madrid from one of the formal structures linked to the implementation of the Gaza ceasefire. For Israel, it is also a message to other European states: criticism may come with consequences. Reuters reported in January that several European governments were already questioning whether the CMCC was effective or worth staying involved in, so Spain’s exclusion lands in a structure that was already under strain.
The wider question now is whether this remains a bilateral diplomatic confrontation or spills further into EU politics. Spain has positioned itself as one of the bloc’s strongest critics of Israeli conduct in Gaza and Lebanon. Israel has now responded in a way that is concrete, public and designed to raise the political price.
Madrid stands firm
There is no sign yet that Madrid will change course. If anything, the pattern points the other way: a harder Spanish line, a harder Israeli response, and even fewer areas where both sides are still willing to work together. Friday’s decision over the Gaza coordination centre does not create that rupture, but it makes it impossible to ignore.