Spain’s Belarra: Israel must end ‘genocide’ of Palestinians in Gaza

Spanish minister Ione Belarra, who leads the far-left Podemos party, has taken a strong stance on the Israel-Gaza conflict, urging the international community to impose sanctions on Israel.

In an interview with Al Jazeera, she accused Israel of orchestrating a "planned genocide" against Palestinians in Gaza.

Belarra expressed frustration at the apparent inconsistency in international responses to human rights violations, pointing to the significant attention given to abuses in other conflicts while characterizing the silence on Israeli bombardment as "deafening."

She emphasized the urgent need for action, stating, "The Israeli state must end this planned genocide against the Palestinian people."

Belarra raised questions about why lessons in human rights are offered in some conflicts but not in the case of the Israel-Gaza conflict, which has garnered global attention and condemnation for the high number of casualties, including many children.

Belarra specifically criticized the European Union (EU), which she is familiar with, for what she perceives as hypocrisy in its response to the situation. She called the EU's actions unacceptable and suggested that Spain and other nations should sever diplomatic ties with Israel as a form of protest.