Spain condemns Iranian attacks on Gulf Cooperation Council countries and Turkey

Eduardo González The Spanish government reiterated on Monday its “unequivocal and firm condemnation” of the unacceptable Iranian attacks against the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and Turkey, “which constitute serious violations of international law and the Charter of the United Nations.” “The Spanish government reiterates its unequivocal and firm condemnation of the unacceptable Iranian attacks against the Gulf countries, especially those targeting civilian infrastructure, and the missile launch against Turkey, which constitute serious violations of international law and the Charter of the United Nations,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in a press release. The government also conveyed “its deepest condolences to the families of the victims killed by the unjustified and indiscriminate attacks against our partners in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC),” including the two victims Deaths recorded this Monday in Saudi Arabia, “in addition to those who have died in other GCC countries in previous days.” “The Spanish Government calls for a gradual easing of restrictions and a resumption of dialogue and negotiations to resolve outstanding disputes.” “Violence and a military solution will only generate greater instability, to the detriment of peace, security, and prosperity for all,” the statement concludes. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares spoke by telephone on Monday with his Iraqi counterpart, Fuad Hussein, to convey his “solidarity and support for his country in the face of the attacks, which we condemn,” as he wrote on social media. UNRWA Amid the escalation of the Middle East conflict, which erupted on February 28 following the US-Israeli offensive against Iran and the Islamic Republic’s retaliatory attacks against a dozen Persian Gulf countries, Albares received Philippe Lazzarini, the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), in Madrid on Monday. “Spain will continue to provide financial and political support to UNRWA, which plays a key role in humanitarian relief and reconstruction efforts in Gaza,” he posted on social media. “Today in Madrid I thanked Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini for his outstanding work during his term, in these complex times,” he added. Philippe Lazzarini, whom the Spanish government awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic in April 2024 at Albares's suggestion, will also be received this Tuesday by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez at the Moncloa Palace; by Second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Labor and Social Economy Yolanda Díaz; and by Minister of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and 2030 Agenda Pablo Bustinduy. UNRWA was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1949 with the mandate to provide humanitarian assistance and protection to Palestinian refugees “pending a just and lasting solution to their situation.” The agency operates in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria, where it guarantees access to education, healthcare, humanitarian aid, and social services for 5.9 million Palestinian refugees (almost a quarter of the world's refugee population). UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions from UN member states. Since the outbreak of the Israeli military offensive in Gaza, Spain has steadily increased its financial and political support for UNRWA, despite the decision by a group of countries to freeze their contributions to the agency after a dozen employees (out of a staff of 30,000) were accused of participating in the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023. Last October, the Knesset (the Israeli Parliament) passed two laws prohibiting UNRWA's activities in the Palestinian territories and East Jerusalem, arguing that it is a "terrorist" organization. Three months later, last January, the Spanish Government expressed its rejection of the entry into force of the laws of the Israeli Parliament (Knesset) that prevent UNRWA operations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and demanded that their application be suspended.

Related Content

Spain and 17 other countries call for an end to Israeli military operations in Lebanon and Hezbollah attacks

EU Member States give green light to Gibraltar agreement with the United Kingdom

Rubio calls the closure of Spanish airspace “disappointing,” and Albares asserts that he “fears absolutely nothing” from the US

Leopoldo López receives Spanish nationality for his “defense of democratic values”

Spain and the rest of the EU, except Hungary, demand “full accountability” from Russia in Kyiv