Albares rules out breaking relations with Israel and asserts that there is “no date” for the ambassador’s departure

Eduardo González Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares stated this Tuesday that the government is not considering breaking relations with Israel, a "figure that exists, but is extremely rare in international relations," and announced that there is still "no date set" for the return to Spain of the ambassador in Tel Aviv, Ana Sálomon, who has been recalled for consultations in response to Israel's "slanderous accusations" against Spain. The Council of Ministers on Tuesday approved the "Measures against the genocide in Gaza and in support of the Palestinian people," announced the day before by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, and which "will be implemented immediately," according to Albares' statement at the press conference following the Council meeting. Among these measures, he recalled, is a Royal Decree-Law that "consolidates the arms embargo on Israel, implemented since October 2023," the text of which is still being drafted. "There are many ministries involved in this," he specified. This measure establishes a legal and permanent ban on the purchase and sale of weapons, ammunition, and military equipment to Israel and must be ratified by Congress. Another of the nine measures adopted by the Executive is a ban on entry into Spanish territory for all those directly involved in genocide, human rights violations, and war crimes in the Gaza Strip. In this regard, Albares specified that the list, which already included thirteen Israeli settlers, is now being added to the list by the Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, and the Minister of Finance, Bezalel Yoel Smotrich. "It is an open list and may be expanded to include any person whose conduct or statements make the two-state solution completely unviable," the minister stated. However, he ruled out, for the time being, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the list, stating that "measures by international bodies are already fully in force in Spain." The measures also include Spain denying entry into its airspace to all state aircraft transporting defense material destined for Israel and prohibiting transit through Spanish ports for all ships carrying fuel destined for the Israeli armed forces. Diplomatic relations Regarding the possible severance of diplomatic relations with Israel, demanded by Sumar, the minority partner in the coalition government, Albares warned that "the severance of relations is a concept that exists, but it is extremely rare in international relations." "Spain only used it in democracy once, in 1980 with Guatemala, and the rest of the countries in the international community have done so on very few occasions," he explained. In any case, he warned, "we want a two-state solution, which implies the existence of a viable Palestinian state but also a State of Israel, and we would like Israel to attend the two-state conference during the United Nations General Assembly and take decisive steps in this decision." Albares also assured that, for the moment, "there is no scheduled date for the ambassador's return to Spain." "Diplomatic actions are usually reactions or political messages that are sent, and Spain has used the call for consultations on numerous occasions," he added. The minister summoned Ana Sálomon for consultations this Monday "in response to the slanderous accusations against Spain and the unacceptable measures against two members of our country's government," according to official sources from the Ministry. Specifically, after Sánchez announced the new measures, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar called the Spanish government "anti-Semitic" and declared them "a clear attempt by the corrupt Sánchez government to distract attention from the serious corruption scandals." He also announced that he will ban Vice President and Minister of Labor Yolanda Díaz and Minister of Youth and Children Sira Rego from entering the country. "Spain fears nothing," Albares stated regarding possible reprisals from Israel. "These measures respond to the majority sentiment of the Spanish people and to the scope of Spain's sovereignty," he continued. "These measures are not against the people of Israel; they are in favor of peace, human rights, and international law, and in favor of the peace and security of everyone in the Middle East, including the people of Israel," he added. Furthermore, Albares acknowledged that "Spain is doing what it can at the national level," but these measures "would be more important if they were at the European level." Therefore, he recalled that, during the recent informal meeting of foreign ministers in Copenhagen, he himself presented "a complete plan" in this regard and had the support of "the majority." However, after noting that this majority was "far from unanimity and we did not even have a qualified majority yet, I announced that Spain was going to move forward at the national level." The People’s Party Regarding the People’s Party's (PP) criticism of the government's measures, Albares asked the main opposition party to, "for once, live up to the Spanish people" and to join "these measures of foreign diplomacy, which is the state policy par excellence." "The PP should define its position in favor of the civilians of Gaza and the existence of a viable and realistic Palestinian state and abandon its rejection of what the conscience of the Spanish people continues to demand from the government," she added. The PP's Deputy Secretary for Institutional Regeneration, Cuca Gamarra, accused Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Tuesday of using international politics "as a smokescreen" to divert attention from the internal problems affecting his administration and his family. She warned, in an interview with 'Telecinco,' that the definition of the events in Gaza as "genocide" falls "exclusively within the jurisdiction of international courts." Regarding the package of measures announced by the government, Gamarra specified that, until the Royal Decree is published in the Official State Gazette (BOE), the PP will not take a position. "When we can read it, when we can analyze these measures, we will comment on them," she added. Emergency declaration On another note, the Council of Ministers approved this Tuesday an emergency declaration that will allow the contracting of humanitarian aid for the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip for a maximum amount of €500,000. According to the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security, and Migration, this declaration will allow the provision of services and the purchase of basic and essential supplies for the care of people—especially children—residents of the armed conflict in Gaza. The resolution, which is the fourth of its kind, responds to the commitment to provide healthcare to patients displaced from Gaza due to serious illness and who are in vulnerable situations, after highlighting the need to provide urgent healthcare coverage to more patients and their families. The actions included in this emergency declaration include transportation services, temporary shelter (lodging, food, and coverage of other basic needs), support and social intervention, psychological and legal care, translation, and interpretation. “Spain firmly reaffirms its commitment to the Palestinian people in the face of the genocide taking place in Gaza. This measure not only guarantees the continuity of essential medical treatment on Spanish territory, but also offers these minors, along with their families, the opportunity to find a safe and dignified environment in which to rebuild their lives after experiencing the horrors of war,” stated Migration Minister Elma Saiz. The Ministries of Defense, Interior, Foreign Affairs, Health, and Inclusion, Social Security, and Migration are involved in the evacuation, treatment, and reception operations. “The escalation of violence that began in the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, has led to the largest humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, with more than 59,000 Palestinians killed (approximately 2% of Gaza's population), more than 143,000 Palestinians injured, and more than 1.9 million internally displaced persons,” the Council of Ministers recalled. In light of the current conflict situation and the opening of humanitarian aid shipments, the Humanitarian Action Office (OAH) of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), in coordination with the Spanish Ministry of Defense (Spanish Air Force), proceeded on August 1, 2025, to ship more than 12 tons of food (5,500 rations). "This initiative is in addition to the one approved by the Council of Ministers on March 18, 2025, for the same amount, as well as the voluntary contributions to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) of €13.5 million and €6 million approved in April and July, respectively," the Council added.

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