Spain’s Sanchez reiterates call for permanent cease-fire in Gaza

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Sunday reiterated his calls for Israel to respect international law and for a permanent cease-fire in Gaza.

Addressing a political rally in the city of A Coruna, Sanchez said his government has held a "coherent" position on the need to defend the rules-based order in conflicts around the world.

"Just like we defended the rules-based order when it comes to Ukraine, we say that international humanitarian law must be respected in Gaza and the West Bank," the Socialist Party leader said.

While condemning the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks and calling for the release of all hostages, he said Madrid has told the government of Benjamin Netanyahu that "the indiscriminate bombings; the deaths of children and thousands more in Gaza are unacceptable."

Israel's war against Hamas has killed more than 25,000 people in the Gaza Strip, according to health officials in the blockaded enclave.

Tens of thousands of protesters filled the streets of cities across Spain in a coordinated movement, calling for an end to the war and the recognition of a Palestinian state.

"We are with all of the protestors," Sanchez said. "We demand a permanent cease-fire, that humanitarian aid enters Gaza, that there be an international peace process and that the entire international community recognize the state of Palestine," he said to his crowd of supporters, who proceeded to give him a standing ovation.

Spain has not recognized the state of Palestine but Sanchez has vowed to do so during his maximum four-year term.

The Spanish prime minister also applauded the work of the EU's top diplomat Josep Borrell, who attended Sunday's rally. Borrell is a member of Spain's Socialist Party and a former minister.

"We are extraordinarily proud that Borrell is raising the voice and the flag of human rights in Gaza and the Middle East," said Sanchez.

Borrell on Friday, speaking at the University of Valladolid, said the international community should "impose" a two-state solution on Israel if its leadership continues to resist. He also called for unity within the EU in terms of the Palestinian conflict.

"If we don't want our position on Gaza to cause other countries to stop supporting us in Ukraine, we should defend our interests in a way that is more compatible with the perception of the rest of the world," Borrell said, pointing to the large majority in the UN General Assembly calling for a humanitarian truce.