A group of legal experts in Spain has called on the government to impose an arms embargo on Israel in response to the conflict persisting in Gaza. Jurists for Palestine presented to parliament a petition signed by over 1,200 members of the Spanish judiciary, including judges, prosecutors, and lawyers, pushing for sanctions including an arms embargo.
While speaking outside parliament, Judge Pilar Barrado, the NGO’s spokesperson, condemned the actions of Israel in Gaza as intolerable violations of international law. “The human rights are for all; let there be no more a world of masters and slaves,” Barrado concluded.
The Spanish Constitution recognizes that compliance with international treaties is to be assumed by the government and parliament under Article 93. Thus, the NGO called for the adoption of measures like those from the ICC arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant by the government and the parliamentary groups. They also wanted the Spanish Parliament to implement UN resolutions, guarantees for Palestinian refugees, and sever diplomatic, commercial, and military relations with Israel.
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The representatives of the Sumar alliance Podemos party and the Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC)-back the initiative. Separately, El Diario reported that Spain permitted a US arms ship bound for Israel to dock at the port of Rota, a claim denied by government spokesperson Pilar Alegria.
Since the onset of the particular conflict that befell Gaza on October 7, 2023, casualties have exceeded 45,000, with women and children constituting the majority. As a result, two arrest warrants have been issued by the International Criminal Court against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Israel has also become the subject of discussions at the International Court of Justice due to a case regarding genocide according to the establishment regarding its actions in Gaza.
In the current war with Gaza, more than 45,000 people lost their lives, majorly women and children, since 7 October 2023. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his defense minister, Yoav Gallant, have been issued with an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Besides, it is contending with a genocide case at the International Court of Justice regarding its actions in Gaza.