{"id":121537,"date":"2023-11-25T14:49:21","date_gmt":"2023-11-25T14:49:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/leviolonrouge.com\/?p=121537"},"modified":"2023-11-25T14:49:21","modified_gmt":"2023-11-25T14:49:21","slug":"eu-countries-in-hot-water-with-israel-over-calls-to-recognise-palestine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/leviolonrouge.com\/world-news\/eu-countries-in-hot-water-with-israel-over-calls-to-recognise-palestine\/","title":{"rendered":"EU countries in hot water with Israel over calls to recognise Palestine"},"content":{"rendered":"

Gaza: Israeli forces destroy Palestinian government building<\/h3>\n

The EU has been dragged into a diplomatic row between Spain, Belgium and Israel over the war in Gaza.<\/p>\n

Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and his Belgian counterpart Alexander De Croo were blunt in their condemnation of Israel’s bombardment of Gaza.<\/p>\n

Speaking on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing into Gaza, Mr Sanchez said Israel was breaching humanitarian law.<\/p>\n

This prompted Israel to summon the Spanish and Belgian ambassadors for a \u201charsh rebuke”.<\/p>\n

Israel also complained that “the Prime Ministers of Spain and Belgium support terrorism”.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The row escalated last night, when Spain’s foreign minister Jos\u00e9 Manuel Albares, in turn, condemned Israel\u2019s \u201cfalse, misplaced and unacceptable accusations\u201d.<\/p>\n

It also threatens to drag in other EU countries, as on Friday Mr Sanchez called for the EU to formally recognise the state of Palestine.<\/p>\n

Spain currently holds the six-month presidency of the Council of the EU, with Belgium taking over the same role on January 1.<\/p>\n

Mr Sanchez suggested that if the EU does not recognise Palestine, Spain could act alone, saying: “If this is not the case, Spain will take their own decisions.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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During his visit to the region this week, Mr Sanchez told Israeli leaders in face-to-face meetings to rethink its offensive in Gaza.<\/p>\n

He said the number of dead Palestinians is \u201ctruly unbearable\u201d, and that the response to Hamas\u2019s terrorist attacks last month cannot include \u201cthe deaths of innocent civilians, including thousands of children\u201d.<\/p>\n

Mr Sanchez added: “We cannot accept that a society is destroyed in the way it is being destroyed.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Spanish leader suggested holding an international peace conference with the parties as soon as possible, claiming that the European Union, Arab League and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation had all endorsed the idea.<\/p>\n