Spanish Prime Minister: “Humanitarian laws must be observed… indiscriminate killings cannot be tolerated.”
“EU must recognize Palestine as a state… Spain may recognize it”
Belgian Prime Minister: “Stop massacring civilians… We must not destroy the Gaza Strip.”
Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen summoned the Spanish and Belgian ambassadors stationed in his country.
According to AP on the 24th (local time), Minister Cohen made this decision, saying, “I condemn the erroneous claims made by the Spanish and Belgian prime ministers who support terrorism.”
“Israel is acting in accordance with international law,” he said, adding, “We are fighting a murderous terrorist organization worse than the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS), which commits war crimes and crimes against humanity.”
Earlier on this day, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Belgian Prime Minister Alexander Dicro criticized Israel at a joint press conference held at the Rafah border checkpoint on the Egyptian side, mentioning the suffering of Palestinian civilians caused by Israel’s military activities in the Gaza Strip.
Prime Minister Sánchez said, “I reiterate that Israel has the right of self-defense,” but reprimanded Israel, saying it should have exercised it within the scope of international humanitarian law.
In addition, he threatened, “The indiscriminate killing of civilians, including thousands of boys and girls, is absolutely unacceptable.”
Furthermore, Prime Minister Sánchez emphasized that the international community and the European Union (EU) must recognize Palestine as a state, and that Spain alone can do so.
Prime Minister Dicro said, “First, let’s stop the violence, release the hostages, and get relief supplies in,” emphatically adding, “Helping those who are suffering is the top priority.”
At the same time, “military operations must respect international humanitarian law. “The massacre of civilians must stop now,” he said. “Too many people have died. “The destruction of Gaza is unacceptable,” he pointed out.
However, there was no mention of recognition of the state of Palestine.
The two leaders visited Israel, Palestine, and Egypt on a two-day itinerary.
Spain currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU, and Belgium will take over the position in January next year.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.