Spain's Pedro Sanchez urges suspension of trade agreement with West Jerusalem over Gaza war

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has accused the EU of double standards, noting that the bloc imposed multiple rounds of sanctions on Russia over the conflict in Ukraine but has failed to take similar action against Israel for its war in Gaza.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Sanchez said he would propose suspending the EU's trade agreement with Israel, whose Article 2 designates human rights as an "essential element" of the pact.

He noted that UN reports are sounding the alarm over the "catastrophic situation" in Gaza, where more than 56,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023.

"It makes absolutely no sense that we've imposed 18 rounds of sanctions on Russia for its aggression against Ukraine, while the EU, in a double standard, has been unable to suspend the association agreement with Israel, even as it flagrantly violates Article 2 on human rights," Sanchez said.

The Israeli Embassy in Madrid condemned Sanchez's remarks as "morally indefensible" and accused him of "launching an anti-Israel crusade."

"Israel, a democratic country facing existential threats on multiple fronts, has both the right and the duty to defend its citizens," the embassy said in a statement on X.

In response, the Spanish Foreign Ministry summoned the Israeli envoy over the embassy's "unacceptable" comments.

Israel launched its operation in Gaza following the surprise attack on October 7, 2023, during which Hamas and allied Palestinian groups killed around 1,200 people and took more than 200 hostages. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) resumed their offensive in the Palestinian enclave after a ceasefire collapsed in March.