Albares rejects Israel's "false and unacceptable" accusations after saying that Sánchez supports Hamas terrorism

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, has described as "false and unacceptable" Israel's accusations against the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, and the Belgian Prime Minister, Alexander De Croo, who claimed in a statement that both political leaders support Hamas terrorism.

"We reject them categorically. From the Ministry of Foreign Affairs we are analyzing the timely response that we are going to give and there will be a response to these false, misplaced and unacceptable accusations," Albares announced in an official statement distributed to the media.

According to the minister, the accusations of the Government of Israel "are especially serious" because Sánchez "represents the presidency of the European Union in office" and De Croo will occupy it as of January 1.

Furthermore, Albares recalled that on October 7, when the attack took place, the entire Spanish Executive, including Sánchez himself, "did not hesitate to condemn the terrorist attack" by Hamas which, as he explained, "does not represent the people." Palestinian" and is "just a terrorist organization.

Furthermore, he stressed that the head of the Executive expressed solidarity towards all the Israeli victims during his visit to Israel and also remembered Maya Villalobo and Iván Illarramendi, the two Spaniards who died in the Hamas attack and that "they will always be in our memory".

The minister has reiterated the Spanish Government's call "for the unconditional and immediate release of all hostages without distinction of nationality or religion", as President Sánchez has conveyed.

"We have always stressed Israel's right to defend itself from this terrorist attack," insisted Albares, who pointed out that this "is not incompatible" with the defense being carried out "within scrupulous respect for international humanitarian law."

The head of Foreign Affairs added that the Spanish Government "will always raise its voice" to "protect so many Palestinian civilians" which includes "an unbearable number of victims that include boys and girls." For this reason, he has defended that Spain demands "a humanitarian ceasefire" so that the aid, which "Spain has tripled in recent weeks," he stressed, "can reach the Palestinian civilian population."

Finally, Albares wanted to make it clear that the president's message in the Middle East is to "seek a path of peace" and to guarantee "the existence of a State of Palestine and a State of Israel, which live in peaceful coexistence, that guarantee the security and prosperity of the other". "The Spaniards and the international community will always find the Government of Spain in the field of those who build peace," he concluded.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry has summoned the ambassadors of Spain and Belgium this Friday in retaliation for the "false" statements made in recent hours by the President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, and the Belgian Prime Minister, Alexander De Croo, since they consider that it represents "support for terrorism" by Hamas.

"Israel is acting in accordance with International Law and fighting against a terrorist organization worse than the Islamic State that commits war crimes and crimes against humanity," the Israeli Foreign Ministry reported in a statement, alluding to the joint appearance of Sánchez and De Croo in the Rafá pass.

The minister himself, Eli Cohen, was the one who gave the order to convey a "reprimand" to the Spanish ambassador, Ana María Salomón Pérez, and the Belgian representative, Jean-Luc Bodson.

The Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, has also "roundly" condemned the statements of Sánchez and De Croo, since he believes that the two leaders did not clearly point out Hamas for the crimes committed, including the attacks against Israeli citizens and the use of Palestinian civilians as "human shields", his office has reported.