Spain Declares Rejection of Israel’s “Illegal Annexation of Gaza”
(MENAFN) Spain’s Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares declared on Monday that neither Spain nor the European Union will acknowledge any unilateral annexation of the Gaza Strip or West Bank, strongly condemning Israel’s recent military actions in the region.
“I spoke out immediately, I firmly condemned it: neither we nor the European Union will ever recognize it,” Albares told media. “We will never recognize this illegal unilateral annexation of Gaza or the West Bank, where illegal settlements are advancing.”
Albares emphasized the urgent need for security for both Palestinians and Israelis amidst rising tensions.
“This escalation in Israel's military occupation of Gaza will only bring more death, more suffering, further impede the release of the hostages, and destabilize the Middle East,” he warned.
He called for immediate measures: “a permanent ceasefire, an end to this blockade that Israel is imposing on Gaza, this induced famine, a massive influx of humanitarian aid, the immediate release of all the hostages, and a definitive peace, which is the same as establishing a two-state solution.”
The military offensive by Israel has already drawn international outrage, with over 61,000 Palestinians killed since October 2023 amid widespread devastation and starvation in Gaza.
On the topic of the upcoming meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin scheduled for Friday, Albares expressed cautious support.
Madrid welcomes “any genuine step toward peace, even toward a first step, which would be a ceasefire,” Albares said, while warning against any agreement that might reward Russia.
Spain’s position remains firm since “the beginning of this unjustified, unjustifiable war,” Albares noted, stressing the importance of upholding Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and insisting “nothing can be decided about Ukraine without Ukraine at the table.”
He added, “If there is a prize for the aggressor in this war, if a war of aggression has a payoff for Russia, the world will be more unstable tomorrow,” and underscored that “only (Ukraine's) President (Volodymyr) Zelensky and the Ukrainian government are legitimately authorized to speak” on the nation’s future.
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