Netanyahu removes Spain from Gaza coordination center, accusing Madrid of 'hostility'
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused Spain of waging a 'diplomatic war' against Israel and has removed Madrid from participation in a coordination center overseeing the ceasefire regime in Gaza. This was reported by Al Jazeera.
In a video message posted on the X platform on Friday, Netanyahu stated that Israel will not 'remain silent in the face of those who attack us.'
'Spain has dishonored our heroes — the soldiers of the IDF, the soldiers of the most moral army in the world. Therefore, today I have ordered the removal of Spanish representatives from the coordination center in Kiryat Gat, as Spain has repeatedly chosen the path of confrontation with Israel,' he said.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar also sharply criticized Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, accusing his government of leveling a 'blood libel' against Israel and its army.
'Spain's obsessive anti-Israel bias under Sánchez's leadership is so blatant that it has completely lost the ability to play a constructive role in implementing the US President's peace plan and the center operating within its framework,' he wrote on X.
Relations between the two countries have been deteriorating for several years. In 2024, Spain recognized the State of Palestine, and Sánchez's center-left government has consistently opposed Israel's policies in the occupied territories. Additionally, Madrid opposed the American-Israeli war with Iran, which began on February 28, and closed Spanish airspace to American aircraft involved in that war.
The Civilian-Military Coordination Center (CMCC) — a US base established as part of Donald Trump's 20-point plan to end the war in Gaza — is responsible for monitoring the ceasefire regime and facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid to the enclave. The US created it in October as a platform for military personnel and diplomats from various countries to work alongside Israel and the US on security and humanitarian issues in Gaza.
Despite the ceasefire regime, Israel continues near-daily strikes on Gaza, and restrictions on the delivery of vital aid persist.
