Spain, Palestine hold 1st intergovernmental meeting in Madrid

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

GENEVA (AA) – Spain on Thursday hosted its first intergovernmental meeting with the state of Palestine, which was officially recognized by Madrid in late May.

The meeting, held at the prime minister's residence in Moncloa, was led by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Palestinian Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Mustafa.

It began at 9 a.m. (0800GMT) and was attended on the Spanish side by the second Vice President and Labor Minister Yolanda Diaz, Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares, Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska, Education Minister Pilar Alegria, and Youth and Childhood Minister Sira Rego.

The Palestinian delegation included Labor Minister Enas Omar, Interior Minister Ziyad Habalreeh, and Education Minister Amjad Dababat.

The meeting was significant as it was the first intergovernmental meeting between an EU member state and Palestine amid Israel's ongoing war, for which it is accused of genocide.

It concluded without a press briefing and with only limited footage. However, the two governments signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen cooperation in several fields, including labor and education.

Israel has launched a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip following a Hamas attack last year, killing nearly 44,000 people, most of them women and children, and injuring over 104,000.

International recognition of the genocide in Gaza has grown in the second year of the deadly Israeli war, as organizations and leaders have labeled the events as a deliberate attempt to destroy a population.

Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its deadly war on Gaza.