Spain’s Foreign Minister, José Manuel Albares, has called on the European Union to adopt a firmer stance over the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the continued expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Calls for stronger EU action
In a post on X on Monday, Albares said killings were continuing in Gaza while humanitarian aid remained unable to reach those in need because of ongoing difficulties at border crossings. He described the European Union’s silence over what he characterised as Israeli violations in the West Bank and attempts to displace Palestinians as “incomprehensible,” urging the bloc to take a clearer position in line with its stated values.
Albares argued that the EU possesses the necessary instruments to exert pressure on the Israeli government and called on the bloc to use them effectively to address the deteriorating humanitarian situation and the ongoing settlement expansion.
Criticism of US trade policy
In a separate statement, the Spanish foreign minister also criticised US tariffs, describing them as an encroachment on Europe’s sovereignty. He said such policies must be met with a response that safeguards the interests of the EU.
Joint condemnation by international ministers
Meanwhile, foreign ministers from 19 countries, alongside the Secretaries-General of the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation (OIC), have condemned recent Israeli decisions which they say extend “unlawful control” over the West Bank.
In a joint statement issued by the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Brazil, France, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Egypt, Jordan, Luxembourg, Norway, the Palestinian National Authority, Portugal, Qatar, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Türkiye, the signatories criticised measures including the reclassification of Palestinian land as so-called Israeli “state land,” the acceleration of settlement activity and the strengthening of Israeli administrative control.
The statement described Israeli settlements and measures to expand them as a “flagrant violation” of international law, including relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the 2024 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice. It warned that the decisions formed part of a “clear trajectory aimed at altering facts on the ground” and moving towards what it called an “unacceptable de facto annexation.”
Threat to 2-state solution
According to the signatories, the measures undermine ongoing efforts to secure peace and stability in the region, including a 20-point plan for Gaza, and threaten prospects for regional integration. They urged Israel to reverse the decisions immediately, fulfil its international obligations and refrain from actions that could permanently alter the legal and administrative status of Palestinian territory.
The ministers pointed in particular to what they described as an unprecedented acceleration of settlement policy, including approval of the E1 settlement project, warning that such steps pose a direct challenge to the viability of a Palestinian state and the implementation of a two-state solution.
They reaffirmed their opposition to any measures aimed at changing the demographic composition, character or legal status of Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, and reiterated their rejection of all forms of annexation.
Highlighting rising tensions in the West Bank, the signatories also called on Israel to halt settler violence against Palestinians and to hold those responsible to account. They confirmed their commitment to taking concrete measures, in accordance with international law, to address settlement expansion and what they described as policies and threats of forced displacement and annexation.
The statement further stressed the importance of preserving the historic and legal status quo in Jerusalem and its holy sites, particularly during the holy month of Ramadan, acknowledging the special role of the Hashemite custodianship of the Kingdom of Jordan. The parties condemned what they termed repeated violations of the status quo, warning that such actions pose a threat to regional stability.
Renewed commitment to peace
They also urged Israel to release Palestinian tax revenues withheld under the Paris Protocol, arguing that the funds are essential for the provision of basic services in both Gaza and the West Bank.
The declaration concluded with a renewed commitment to achieving a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in the Middle East based on a two-state solution, in line with the Arab Peace Initiative, relevant United Nations resolutions and the borders of June 4, 1967. The signatories underlined that resolving the Israeli–Palestinian conflict remains central to peace, stability and regional integration, adding that genuine coexistence requires the establishment of an independent, sovereign and democratic Palestinian state.
