Spain sanctions Israeli ministers amid deepening Gaza conflict tensions

Wednesday 10 September 2025 - 12:20

By: Dakir Madiha

Spain sanctions Israeli ministers amid deepening Gaza conflict tensions

Spain-Israel relations hit a new low on Tuesday as Madrid barred two far-right Israeli government ministers over their alleged involvement in actions contributing to what Spain has called "genocide in Gaza." The move follows the announcement of sweeping measures aimed at addressing the humanitarian crisis in the region.

Ministers barred from entry

Spain's Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares announced during a press conference that National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich have been sanctioned and are now prohibited from entering Spanish territory.

This decision comes as part of Spain’s broader measures unveiled earlier this week by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in response to the ongoing war in Gaza. Among the nine actions announced was an entry ban targeting individuals accused of directly participating in genocide, human rights violations, and war crimes in the Gaza Strip.

International sanctions

Ben Gvir and Smotrich are already under sanctions imposed by other Western nations, including Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Norway, and Slovenia. Spain had previously placed 13 Israeli settlers on its sanctions list, further straining bilateral ties.

Diplomatic fallout

The announcement triggered a sharp reaction from Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, who accused the Spanish government of antisemitism and retaliated by barring two far-left Spanish officials from entering Israel. Spain rejected these accusations as "slanderous" and recalled its ambassador from Tel Aviv, with Albares confirming on Tuesday that there is "no scheduled return date" for the envoy.

Relations between the two nations have been increasingly tense, with Spain maintaining vocal criticism of Israel’s military actions in Gaza and formally recognizing a Palestinian state in 2024.

The human toll of the Gaza conflict

The measures come against the backdrop of the ongoing devastation in Gaza. The conflict, sparked by Hamas’s unprecedented October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, has claimed thousands of lives. According to Israeli figures, the attack killed 1,219 people, mostly civilians, and saw 251 hostages taken, of whom 47 are still held in Gaza, including 25 believed to have died.

Israel’s retaliatory strikes have since resulted in the deaths of at least 64,605 Palestinians, primarily civilians, according to figures from Gaza’s health ministry. These numbers, considered reliable by the United Nations, underscore the immense humanitarian toll of the ongoing conflict.