Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles stated on TVE, the official Spanish television, that the events in Gaza constitute a “true genocide.”
During the celebration of Spanish Armed Forces Day on Saturday, Robles emphasized Spain’s strong support for various global issues, saying, “We cannot ignore what is happening in Gaza, which is a true genocide.”
Spain announced last week, along with Norway and Ireland, plans to officially recognize the state of Palestine starting May 28.
Robles clarified that this decision is “not against the state of Israel or Israelis, whom we respect,” but rather aimed at ending the violence in Gaza.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry is currently considering further diplomatic steps against Norway, Ireland, and Spain following their announcement to recognize the state of Palestine, according to a source familiar with the matter.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled on Friday Israel must halt its military offensive in Rafah in southern Gaza.
The UN’s top court also affirmed that the Rafah border crossing with Egypt must be opened for the entry of humanitarian aid “at scale”
South Africa appealed to the ICJ to order a cessation of the Israeli military’s entire operation in Gaza, particularly in Rafah, arguing that the military campaign makes life in the region untenable and therefore constitutes a violation of the 1948 Genocide Convention.
This appeal marks the fourth time South Africa has approached the court since Israel declared war on Hamas following the Palestinian group’s attack on October 7.
Israeli officials, unnamed in the reports from Channel 12 Israel, believe the ICJ will likely rule against Israel but indicate that Tel Aviv does not intend to comply with the ruling.
If the court rules in favour of South Africa, the matter will be escalated to the United Nations Security Council, where Israel expects the United States to use its veto power, as reported by the Times of Israel.
