Else Beekman
MADRID – In a conversation with Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu, Spanish outgoing Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called for a ceasefire so that humanitarian aid can reach the people of Gaza.
During the conversation, Sánchez reiterated his condemnation of the “terrorist attacks by Hamas” and Israel’s right to defend itself within the limits of international and humanitarian law. However, he also stressed his concern for the protection of all civilians and the need for humanitarian assistance.
This is the first conversation that has taken place between the two Prime Ministers since the terrorist Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7. A second convoy of trucks carrying humanitarian aid entered Gaza on Sunday and clearly proved insufficient to supply the strip of land’s population.
Sánchez is calling for a humanitarian ceasefire to prevent the conflict from spreading to the rest of the region. He also continues to strive for a final solution for peace, with the two states of Israel and Palestine coexisting in peace and security. Furthermore, he also has planned meetings with representatives of the Jewish and Muslim communities in Spain.
Belarra sees Sánchez’s request as “useless”
However, Ione Belarra, the Minister of Social Rights and leader of Podemos, has indicated that she considers Sánchez’s request to be “useless”. “Israel has shown an absolute lack of humanity in recent weeks. Asking Netanyahu to comply with an international law he despises is futile. What must be done is to stop him with exemplary economic sanctions and arms embargoes,” she emphasises in a publication.
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