Israel-Spain tensions escalate as Netanyahu lashes out, Madrid calls for European action

Tensions between Israel and Spain have escalated sharply, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lashing out at Madrid, while Spanish leaders issued strong rebuttals and called for European action.

Netanyahu accused Spain of waging a diplomatic war against Israel and ordered the removal of Spanish representatives from a coordination centre overseeing the Gaza ceasefire, reports Al Jazeera.

In a video statement posted on X on Friday (10 April), he said Israel would not "remain silent in the face of those who attack us".

"Spain has defamed our heroes, the soldiers of the IDF, the soldiers of the most moral army in the world. Therefore, I have instructed today to remove Spain's representatives from the coordination centre in Kiryat Gat, after Spain has chosen repeatedly to stand against Israel," he said.

He also warned that no country would declare a diplomatic war on Israel without consequences, reports The Diplomat.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar echoed the criticism, accusing Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's government of making "blood libels" against Israel and its army, and saying Spain's "obsessive anti-Israel bias" had undermined its ability to play a constructive role, according to Al Jazeera.

The Civil-Military Coordination Centre, a US-led base under Donald Trump's 20-point plan, is tasked with monitoring the ceasefire and facilitating humanitarian aid into Gaza. Despite the ceasefire, Israel has continued near-daily attacks, with restrictions on aid deliveries still in place.

Relations between the two countries have deteriorated since Israel launched its war on Gaza in October 2023. Spain recognised the state of Palestine the following year and has been vocal in criticising Israel's actions. Madrid also opposed the United States-Israel war on Iran that began on 28 February and closed its airspace to US aircraft involved in the conflict.

On 10 April, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called on the European Union to suspend its Association Agreement with Israel, citing its continued bombardment of Lebanon and actions in Gaza, Xinhua reports.

"We must not allow another Gaza in Lebanon," Sanchez said, urging Europe to act against what he described as Israel's "flagrant violations of international humanitarian law".

He said the agreement, which has been in force since 2000 as the legal basis for EU-Israel trade relations, should be suspended "for the sake of consistency and also empathy," adding that Spain is prepared to take the step alongside other European countries.

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares also criticised Israeli attacks in Lebanon, calling the level of violence and violations of international law unacceptable.

According to the World Health Organization and other humanitarian agencies, Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed more than 1,700 people, injured nearly 6,000 and displaced over one million people.