Spain demands Israel comply with ICJ's order to halt offensive on Rafah

By Alyssa McMurtry

OVIEDO, Spain (AA) – Spain’s foreign minister warned Israel on Saturday that the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) ruling requiring Israel to “immediately halt its military offensive in Rafah” must be complied with.

“The ICJ’s provisional measures, including the cessation of Israel’s offensive in Rafah, are mandatory,” Jose Manuel Albares said in a post on X.

“We demand it’s implementation,” he added.

On Friday, the UN’s top court ruled on provisional measures requested by South Africa in the ongoing genocide case against Israel, instructing it to cease its military operation in Rafah as well as keep the Rafah border crossing open for unhindered access to basic services and humanitarian assistance into Gaza.

In his statement on Saturday, Albares added that Spain also demands a cease-fire, the release of hostages and the access of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

“The suffering of the people of Gaza and the violence must end,” he concluded.

His statements come amid growing tension between Spain and Israel.

The strain on bilateral relations picked up this week, when Spain, along with Ireland and Norway, announced they will formally recognize Palestinian statehood in the coming days.

In response, the Israeli government recalled its ambassadors to the nation and summoned the three countries’ ambassadors to Israel.

As part of Israel’s reproach of the nations’ ambassadors, authorities filmed the diplomats while they were forced to watch violent footage of the Oct. 7 attacks. They later broadcast the video.

On Friday, Albares condemned Israel filming the ambassadors, adding that the governments of Ireland and Norway felt the same.

Then, in response to Spain’s Deputy Prime Minister Yoland Diaz using the slogan "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz announced on Friday that he would “sever the connection between Spain's representation in Israel and the Palestinians, and to prohibit the Spanish consulate in Jerusalem from providing services to Palestinians from the West Bank.”

On Friday, Albares told broadcaster RAC1 that he was unsure how Israel could block Spain's diplomatic services to Palestinians and needed to analyze the situation.

However, he added that if Katz’s statement were to be taken at face value, Spain would take diplomatic action in response.