Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Tuesday unveiled a sweeping package of measures aimed, in his words, at “stopping the genocide in Gaza,” including a full arms embargo on Israel, bans on shipping and air traffic linked to the Israeli military, and restrictions on Israeli officials entering Spain.
The Spanish government said Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir had been added to its sanctions list and would not be permitted entry. Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said the decision came in direct response to Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar’s move barring two Spanish ministers from entering Israel after Madrid announced its sanctions package.
Sánchez said the measures were intended to increase pressure on Israel over its war in Gaza. “What Israel is doing is not defending itself, it is exterminating a defenseless population,” he said in a televised address. “We know that this will not be enough to stop the invasion or war crimes, but we hope it will increase pressure on the Israeli government, help alleviate some of the suffering of the Palestinian people, and ensure that the citizens of Spain know and feel that, in the face of this shameful event, their country was on the right side of history.”
The package of nine measures, which the Spanish government said would take effect immediately, includes a royal decree formally codifying an arms embargo that has been in place de facto since October 2023, prohibiting the purchase or sale of weapons, ammunition, and military equipment to or from Israel. It also bans ships carrying fuel for the Israeli military from docking at Spanish ports and bars aircraft transporting defense equipment to Israel from flying through Spanish airspace, a move that could also affect U.S. military flights. In addition, it prohibits entry into Spain for individuals “directly involved in genocide, human rights violations, or war crimes in Gaza,” bans imports of products from Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Gaza, and limits consular services for Spanish citizens living in settlements to the bare legal minimum. The measures also expand support for the Palestinian Authority by adding Spanish staff to European Union missions at Rafah and launching joint projects in agriculture, food security, and medical aid. Spain will provide an additional €10 million ($10.7 million) in funding for the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, and will increase its humanitarian aid commitment to Gaza to €150 million ($161 million) by 2026.
The government said the measures build on actions already taken in the past two years, including supporting U.N. resolutions for a permanent ceasefire, backing cases before the International Criminal Court, providing humanitarian relief to Gaza, and recognizing a Palestinian state.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar condemned Spain’s decision in a post on X, calling it “a hostile anti-Israel line and hate-filled rhetoric.” He accused Sánchez’s government of trying to deflect from corruption scandals with “a continuous anti-Israel and antisemitic campaign.”
“The obsessive activism of the Spanish government against Israel stands out in light of its ties with dark authoritarian regimes — from Iran to Maduro’s Venezuela,” Sa’ar wrote. “Not all criticism of Israel is antisemitism. But when it is characterized by demonization, delegitimization, and double standards, it is antisemitism, according to the IHRA definition.”
First published: 14:33, 09.09.25