Supporting Gaza Madrid summons Israeli chargé d’affaires after Sanchez’s remarks

Spain has officially summoned the Israeli chargé d'affaires in Madrid in response to what it described as "unacceptable" remarks accusing Spain of being on the "wrong side of history." These comments followed Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's statement in Brussels, where he labeled the situation in Gaza as a "genocide."

According to diplomatic sources, the Spanish Foreign Ministry called in the Israeli diplomat on June 26, 2025, to express its disapproval over the remarks directed at the Spanish government. The Israeli chargé d'affaires is currently the highest-ranking Israeli official in Spain, as Israel withdrew its ambassador in November 2023 to protest Sanchez's earlier criticisms of Israel's actions in Gaza, where he had raised concerns over potential violations of humanitarian law.

During his speech in Brussels, Sanchez strongly condemned the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, describing it as catastrophic and genocidal. He also urged the European Union to suspend its association agreement with Israel.

In response, the Israeli embassy issued a statement in Spanish, criticizing Sanchez's remarks as "morally indefensible" and claiming that Spain was aligning itself with an extreme and increasingly isolated position in Europe regarding the Middle East.

This is not the first diplomatic confrontation between the two nations. The Spanish Foreign Ministry had summoned Israeli officials on three previous occasions November 2023, October 2024, and May 2025 over various incidents related to the ongoing conflict.

Pedro Sanchez has emerged as one of the most outspoken European leaders condemning Israel’s military operations in Gaza. He has called for the immediate delivery of humanitarian aid to the region, under the supervision of the United Nations.

The conflict in Gaza, which has endured an 18-year blockade, has led to the deaths of nearly 57,000 people and left countless others injured, disabled, or displaced. Massive destruction and widespread famine have further deepened the humanitarian crisis, claiming the lives of thousands of children, women, and the elderly.