<h6><strong>Eduardo González</strong></h6> <h4><strong>Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, after meeting in Madrid with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday, called for a “real ceasefire” in Gaza so that “attacks against the population stop” and warned that “those responsible for this genocide will be held accountable, sooner or later, so that a tragedy of this magnitude is never repeated.”</strong></h4> “Even today, after the ceasefire, Palestinians in Gaza continue to suffer attacks, violence, and restrictions that violate their basic rights, such as the right to life, food, education, health, and freedom of movement,” the Prime Minister declared during a joint appearance, without questions, with Abbas, who on Wednesday, December 10, made his second visit to Spain since the Sánchez government recognized the State of Palestine. “To rebuild hope, we need true peace, and that true peace must be founded on justice,” Sánchez stated. “That is why I want to be very clear, as I have already shared with President Abbas: those responsible for this genocide must be held accountable, and they must do so sooner or later, so that the victims find justice, reparations, and some respite, and so that a tragedy of this magnitude is never repeated, because only in this way can we build a just and lasting peace based on coexistence,” he warned. “The peace agreement, of course, is a first step on that path, and it rests on the only possible solution, which is the two-state solution—two states and a peace to which Spain is firmly committed, and we will pursue it by focusing on three priorities,” he announced. “First, by raising our voices so that the dramatic situation of the Palestinian people is not forgotten,” he explained. “Yes, there was a ceasefire agreement, but this ceasefire agreement must be real; it cannot be a sham. Therefore, we will not rest until the attacks against the population cease and there are no more victims,” he warned. “Second, by supporting the Palestinian Authority, which must play a central, fundamental role in designing the governance mechanisms that will define the future of the Palestinian people, and third, by joining forces with other European, Arab, and other partners to develop the foundations of security that will allow us to end the violence once and for all,” he added. <h5><strong>Abbas thanks Spain</strong></h5> For his part, Abbas reiterated his gratitude to Spain for its “historic decision to recognize the State of Palestine,” as well as for “its pioneering role and efforts in establishing the international coalition aimed at expanding the wave of recognitions of the State of Palestine, promoting the implementation of the two-state solution, and contributing to the adoption of the New York Declaration as a means to consolidate the political path and enforce UN resolutions.” The Palestinian president also stressed the importance of the “full and urgent” implementation of US President Donald Trump’s plan and the UN Security Council resolution to halt Israel’s war, allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, restore education, healthcare, water, electricity, and other services, prevent the forced displacement of Palestinians, guarantee the withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from the Gaza Strip, allow the State of Palestine to assume its responsibilities, and begin the reconstruction process. <h5><strong>Meeting with the King</strong></h5> Earlier, Abbas was received by King Felipe VI at the Zarzuela Palace. The meeting was attended by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Global Affairs, Diego Martínez Belío; the Consul General in Jerusalem, Javier Gutiérrez Blanco-Navarrete; the Diplomatic Advisor to the Palestinian President, Majdi A.M. Khaldi; and a member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), Ziad M.H. Abu-Amr. During this meeting, according to the Palestinian news agency WAFA, Abbas expressed his gratitude “to Spain, its Government, and its friendly people” for their “courageous” support for the Palestinian people in international forums and for “mobilizing international support for greater recognition of the State of Palestine and providing humanitarian aid and assistance to build the institutions of the State of Palestine.”
