Spain recalled its ambassador to Tel Aviv on Monday after Israel leveled unfounded antisemitism accusations against Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and escalated tensions by blocking two Spanish ministers from entering the country.
The spat came after Sanchez unveiled measures he said aimed to "stop the genocide in Gaza," marking a new low in relations over the genocidal attacks in Gaza, which killed over 64,0000 Palestinians, mostly women and children and destroyed the blockaded enclave.
The Socialist prime minister said his government would approve a decree to "consolidate in law" a ban on military equipment sales or purchases with Israel, a measure it had applied since the start of the conflict.
Boats carrying fuel destined for the Israeli military will be barred from Spanish ports and Spain will act to reduce the transport of military equipment to Israel by air, Sanchez said in a televised address.
"All those people participating directly in the genocide, the violation of human rights and war crimes in the Gaza Strip" will be banned from entering Spanish territory, he added.
"We know that all these measures will not be enough to stop the invasion or the war crimes, but we hope that they will serve to add pressure on Prime Minister Netanyahu and his government to alleviate some of the suffering that the Palestinian population is enduring," Sanchez said.
Spain will also ban the importation of products from "illegal settlements" in the occupied Palestinian territories with the aim of stopping "the forced displacement of the Palestinian population" and keeping alive the two-state solution, Sanchez continued.
Consular services for Spanish citizens residing in those settlements will be limited "to the legally obligatory minimum assistance," he said.
Sanchez also announced new collaboration projects in agriculture, food security and medical aid to support the Palestinian Authority and additional humanitarian funds for Palestinians.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar announced that Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Diaz and Youth Minister Sira Rego, both members of the Socialists' far-left junior coalition partner Sumar, would be banned from entering Israel.
"Today we put a red line here, demonstrating we will not take it from them anymore," Saar added during a press conference in Budapest with his Hungarian counterpart Peter Szijjarto.
"Spain will not be intimidated in its defense of peace, international law and human rights," the Spanish foreign ministry replied in a statement rejecting Saar's comments.
Spain then recalled its ambassador in Tel Aviv "in the face of the slanderous accusations against Spain and the unacceptable measures against two members of our country's government," foreign ministry sources said.
Diaz said on social network Bluesky that it was a cause for "pride that a state that perpetrates a genocide denies us entry."
His government broke with European allies last year by recognizing a Palestinian state, infuriating Israel.
Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 64,522 Palestinians, most of them civilians.
