“We demand that the Spanish parliament pass resolutions that implement UN resolutions, provide guarantees for Palestinian refugees, sever diplomatic, commercial and military relations with Israel, and guarantee UN supervision to restore living conditions in Gaza.”
A group of legal experts have handed over a petition to the Spanish government calling for an arms embargo on Israel as well as compliance with UN resolutions over its ongoing genocidal war in the Gaza Strip.
Jurists for Palestine, a non-governmental organization (NGO) comprising Spanish judges, prosecutors, and lawyers, handed over the petition to parliament on Tuesday with more than 1,200 signatures urging sanctions, including an arms embargo, the Anadolu news agency reported.
La Plataforma de Juristas por Palestina exige en el Congreso el embargo de armas a Israel y la aplicación del Derecho Internacional.
La magistrada Pilar Barrado señala que el Gobierno debe cumplir con los compromisos internacionales asumidos por España.#StopArmasConIsrael pic.twitter.com/uOYzwxG5To
— RESCOP (@RESCOP1) December 17, 2024
“Human rights are universal. There can’t be a world of masters and slaves who are allowed to be massacred,” Judge Pilar Barrado, a spokesperson for the organization, said outside the parliament, noting that Israel’s genocide in Gaza and violations of international law have reached an intolerable level.
Barrado said that according to Article 93 of the Spanish Constitution, the government and parliament are responsible for guaranteeing compliance with international treaties and their resolutions, Anadolu reported.
ICC Arrest Warrants
Demanding that the government and all parliamentary groups comply with these resolutions,” the judge stressed that it was “essential to adopt measures such as the (International Criminal Court’s) arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.”
‘Obligation’ – ICC Urges Member States to Comply over Arrest Warrants
“We demand that the Spanish parliament pass resolutions that implement UN resolutions, provide guarantees for Palestinian refugees, sever diplomatic, commercial and military relations with Israel, and guarantee UN supervision to restore living conditions in Gaza,” said Barrado.
“We do not want Spain to be complicit” in the genocide, the spokesperson was quoted by the Spanish El Diario newspaper as saying.
Representatives of the Sumar alliance, the junior partner of the minority left coalition government in Spain, as well as the Podemos party and the Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) also supported the initiative, the report added.
Weapons Ship
Separately, the El Diario newspaper reported that Spain allowed a US ship carrying weapons to Israel to stop at the port of Rota, according to Anadolu. Government spokesperson Pilar Alegria however denied the report.
In May, Spain announced its official recognition of the State of Palestine. Norway and Ireland followed, as well as Slovenia.
Spain Blocks US-Bound Ships Suspected of Carrying Arms for Israel – Hamas Praises the Move
In June, Spain also announced it would join South Africa’s case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) accusing Israel of genocide in its war on Gaza.
Ongoing Genocide
The Israeli genocide in the Gaza Strip continues with the death toll among starved and besieged Palestinian civilians rising daily.
Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7, 2023.
A fire broke out in the intensive care unit of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, after it was targeted by fire from the occupation forces.
Violent clashes broke out in the Jenin refugee camp between the Resistance and the security forces of the Palestinian Authority.… pic.twitter.com/iiRJZ5NhD5
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) December 18, 2024
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 45,059 Palestinians have, to date, been killed, and 107,041 wounded in the ongoing genocide.
Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. However, Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’.
Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children.
The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern region.
(PC, Anadolu)
