«Israel violated international law again by attacking a civilian flotilla in waters that do not belong to it, wrote on the social network X.
Stating that he will do everything «to protect and assist the Spaniards being held, Pedro Sánchez continued by declaring «But that is not enough. The EU must suspend the association agreement NOW and demand that Netanyahu [the Israeli Prime Minister] respect maritime law.Â
Earlier, the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs had already Âœstrongly condemned the Israeli army’s intervention off the coast of Crete and stated that Spanish nationals were on board.
The 175 detained activists (211 according to the flotilla organizers) will be taken to Greece in the coming hours, according to Israeli authorities.
Tense Relations between Israel and Spain
This flotilla was originally made up of more than 50 boats that departed in recent weeks from Marseille (France), Barcelona (Spain), and Syracuse (Italy).
This statement by Pedro Sánchez is a new example of the tense relations between Spain and Israel for years. The Spanish government, which recognized the State of Palestine in May 2024 along with Ireland and Norway, has become one of the most critical voices in the EU regarding Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, criticizing the war in Gaza, as well as the American-Israeli military campaign against Iran launched on February 28.
In September 2025, Pedro Sánchez even expressed his «deep admiration for the pro-Palestinian protesters who disrupted the Vuelta cycling race and forced the cancellation of the final stage in the streets of Madrid.
