"Spanish lawmakers approve legal ban on arms sales to Israel"

Spain’s Parliament Approves Legal Arms Embargo on Israel Over Gaza Conflict

Spain’s parliament has passed a law formalizing an arms embargo on Israel, a measure initially introduced by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to counter what he described as “the genocide in Gaza.”

The decision was backed by 178 votes to 169, supporting the decree announced in September by Sánchez, who has been one of the most vocal critics of Israel’s military actions in Palestinian territories over the past two years.

The support of the far-left Podemos party, which holds four seats, proved decisive in securing approval for the minority leftist coalition’s proposal. Previously, Podemos had opposed the decree, claiming it did not go far enough.

The government stated that it had already halted arms purchases from and sales to Israel since the conflict began, following the Hamas-led attack on Israel on 7 October 2023. Sánchez later moved to solidify the embargo into law as part of broader measures against Israel’s offensive.

“Israel’s response to the attacks by Hamas has turned into indiscriminate violence against Palestinian civilians, which many experts have labeled as genocide,” read the law’s preamble.

The legislation prohibits all exports and imports of defense-related equipment, products, or technology to and from Israel. It also bans the transit of aviation fuel with potential military use and the promotion of goods originating from settlements in Gaza and the West Bank.

Exceptions may be granted for dual-use military items if enforcing the ban would harm Spain’s national interests.

Israel strongly condemned the initial announcement in September, having already recalled its ambassador from Madrid earlier this year after Spain recognized Palestinian statehood.

The vote was initially set for Tuesday but was reportedly delayed by a day to avoid coinciding with the anniversary of the Hamas attack.