On September 9, 2025, Spain took the boldest step yet among European nations in response to Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza, announcing a sweeping package of measures that includes a formal and permanent arms embargo, a ban on military shipments through Spanish ports and airspace, and entry bans targeting Israeli officials accused of war crimes. The move, which has rapidly escalated diplomatic tensions between Madrid and Jerusalem, marks a dramatic new chapter in the European response to the conflict and reflects mounting frustration over the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez unveiled the measures in a nationally televised address, explaining that the government would formalize by royal decree a ban on the purchase and sale of weapons, ammunition, and military equipment to Israel. While Spain had already stopped such sales since October 2023, Sánchez said, “The decree will remove any ambiguity after months of controversy and doubt.” The embargo, he stressed, is intended to pressure Israel to halt its offensive and to “ease some of the suffering in Gaza.”
But the package goes much further than an arms embargo. According to El País and Reuters, Spain will now ban ships carrying fuel for the Israeli army from docking in Spanish ports and will deny access to Spanish airspace for any state aircraft transporting defense material to Israel. Additionally, Spain is prohibiting imports from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, a move designed to target the economic underpinnings of what Sánchez described as “a new wave of illegal occupations.”
Perhaps the most controversial measure is the ban on entry to individuals “directly involved in genocide, human rights violations, and war crimes” in Gaza. While the Spanish government has not published a list of those affected, the policy could apply to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, members of his cabinet, and even military personnel. On Tuesday, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares confirmed that Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir would be barred from entering Spain. “These steps are not against Israel, but are rather for peace and human rights,” Albares told reporters, emphasizing that Madrid “fears nothing” from Israeli reprisal.
Spain’s measures also include a humanitarian component. Sánchez pledged to increase Spain’s presence in the European Union mission at the Rafah border crossing and to launch new cooperative projects with the Palestinian Authority. Spain will contribute an additional €10 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and aims to raise its total humanitarian aid to Gaza to €150 million by 2026. “These nine measures will be implemented immediately,” Sánchez said, vowing that Spain would not give up trying to stop the violence, even if it cannot do so alone.
The Spanish government’s actions have drawn fierce condemnation from Israel. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar called the measures “antisemitic” and accused Sánchez of using anti-Israel rhetoric to distract from domestic corruption scandals. “The Government of Spain is leading a hostile anti-Israeli line, with wild rhetoric dripping with hatred,” Saar said, as reported by Channel 12. In a tit-for-tat move, Israel announced entry bans on Spanish Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Díaz and Youth Minister Sira Rego, both members of the left-wing Sumar party, which is part of Sánchez’s coalition government.
Spain quickly hit back. The Foreign Ministry rejected Israel’s accusations as “false and slanderous,” stating, “The measures relating to the inhumane situation in Gaza and the West Bank, announced today by the President of the Spanish Government, reflect the majority opinion of Spanish society and are adopted within the framework of its sovereignty and in line with its defence of peace, human rights and international law.” The ministry also pointed to Spain’s longstanding commitment to fighting antisemitism, noting the recent granting of citizenship to 72,000 Sephardic Jews expelled from the Iberian Peninsula centuries ago.
Diplomatic relations between the two countries have reached a new low. Spain recalled its ambassador from Tel Aviv for consultations, while Israeli officials accused the Sánchez government of “deviating from a policy of diplomatic relations with Israel in favor of harsh condemnations.” Spanish newspaper El País reported that Madrid is considering declaring Netanyahu and other Israeli ministers persona non grata—a move that could further inflame the standoff.
Sánchez’s rhetoric has been uncompromising. In his address, he condemned the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023, but drew a sharp distinction between legitimate self-defense and what he described as Israel’s current campaign: “One thing is to protect your country and your society, and another very different thing is to bomb hospitals and starve innocent children.” He cited UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese and other legal experts in describing the campaign as “now widely recognized as genocide,” and recited a grim toll: “63,000 dead, 159,000 wounded, 250,000 people at risk of acute malnutrition and nearly two million displaced, half of them children.”
“This is not self-defense; it is extermination of a defenseless people and a flagrant breach of humanitarian law,” Sánchez declared, accusing the international community of “indifference” and “complicity.” He acknowledged that Spain’s measures alone would not end the war or stop alleged war crimes, but insisted they were a necessary step to “increase pressure on Netanyahu’s government and to ease some of the suffering in Gaza.”
Spain’s actions stand out in a European Union that has struggled to reach consensus on how to respond to the Gaza conflict. Since February 2024, Madrid has been among a minority of EU states—including Slovenia, Ireland, and the Netherlands—calling for a review of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which governs trade and political relations. In July, the EU’s 27 foreign ministers failed to agree on suspending the agreement or adopting other measures such as a full arms embargo or sanctions on Israeli officials. Slovenia acted independently last month, imposing a full arms embargo on Israel, while Germany suspended military exports that could be used in Gaza. Sweden and the Netherlands have also pressed for tougher EU action, but internal divisions have stymied progress.
The war in Gaza, which erupted following the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023, has left Israeli society traumatized and Palestinians facing devastation on a scale not seen in decades. Israel, which is currently defending itself against genocide charges at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, rejects the allegations and insists its actions are lawful and necessary to combat terrorism. Meanwhile, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to worsen, with aid agencies warning of famine and the collapse of basic services.
As diplomatic volleys continue and the humanitarian toll mounts, Sánchez offered a message to his country: “I want Spanish society to know that, faced with one of the most infamous episodes of the 21st century, your country, Spain, was on the right side of history.” For now, Spain’s measures stand as the most far-reaching in Europe, signaling a new willingness among some states to use economic and diplomatic leverage in pursuit of peace and accountability in the Middle East.