ALBAWABA - In a statement by the Spanish government, re-elected Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will be visiting Israel and Palestine on Thursday.
Sanchez will be meeting Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in addition to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The visit counts as Sanchez's first international visit and first visit to the region since the latest Israeli war on Gaza.
During his inaugural speech, Sanchez said one of his main priorities would be Spain's recognition of the State of Palestine, and vowed to advocate for the same stance at a European level.
A number of politicians in the Spanish cabinet advocated for completely cutting diplomatic ties with Israel and sanctioning its leaders, including the Minister of Social Rights, Ione Belarra.
On Monday, 900 Spanish healthcare professionals signed a petition calling on Spain and the EU to stop collaborating with Israel and call for an immediate ceasefire.
On the same day, it was announced that Belarra would not hold onto her ministerial position, which was criticized by many politicians including former Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias.
Iglesias insinuated that Belarra's removal from her position as Minister of Social Rights was linked to her opinions on the war on Gaza.
Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo will be accompanying Sanchez on his trip to Israel and has recently criticized Israel's targeting of civilians across Gaza.
"Bombing an entire refugee camp with the intention of taking out one terrorist, I don’t think you can say that is proportional. And also unbridled violence in the West Bank, you have to be careful" said De Croo earlier this month.
Hamas operation against Israel
Hamas military group announced on Oct. 7 a military operation called "Al-Aqsa Flood" against Israel which is the biggest offensive in decades.
Palestinian fighters “infiltrated” Israel from the Gaza Strip captured military bases and took hostages as photos and videos went viral online showing Hamas fighters on vehicles inside Israel and others paragliding into occupation territory.
In response, Israeli armed forces announced targeting Hamas positions inside the Gaza Strip. Thousands were killed, and dozens of thousands of others were injured in the Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip.
Since October 7, Israeli continuous brutal bombardment has killed more than 13,000 people with more than 5,500 children and 3,500 women. The injury toll has exceeded the 30,000 mark, according to the latest figures by the Ministry of Health in Gaza.
