Israel’s foreign minister summoned the ambassadors of Spain and Belgium for a “harsh rebuke” over comments by the two countries’ leaders about the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip on Friday.
Visiting the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said the Israeli “offensive needs to respect international humanitarian law” and denounced the destruction in the Gaza Strip as “unacceptable”.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez echoed his views saying the “indiscriminate killings of innocent civilians” in the Palestinian territory was “completely unacceptable”.
Both leaders called for a permanent ceasefire in the war-battered territory.
Sánchez also called for European Union recognition of a Palestinian state saying Spain might do so on its own.
Sánchez said the time had come for the international community and the European Union to once and for all recognize a Palestinian state. He said it would be better if the EU did it together “but if this is not the case … Spain will take its own decisions.”
