Spanish foreign minister urges immediate cease-fire, unrestricted humanitarian aid for Gaza

By Gizem Nisa Cebi

ISTANBUL (AA) - Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares Bueno reiterated on Wednesday the urgency of a swift and lasting cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, where Israeli attacks since last October have killed more than 31,000 Palestinians and more than half of the population is facing catastrophic levels of hunger.

“We expressed the need for an immediate and permanent cease-fire. We said that unconditional humanitarian aid must reach Gaza,’’ Albares told a press conference with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan in Ankara.

Albares highlighted Spain's significant increase in humanitarian aid since the conflict's onset, and reiterated the call for the release of all hostages.

Albares paid an official visit to Türkiye for a bilateral meeting with Fidan, and discussed Türkiye-EU relations and current regional and international developments including the crisis in Gaza and other challenges in the Middle East.

He said they also talked about “what efforts they can make and how peace can be restored in the Middle East."

“Spain is strengthening its peace policy with the whole world and its partners,’’ he said.

Albares emphasized that “future of peace in the region’’ necessitates the “establishment of a permanent state of Palestine.’’

“The state of Palestine must be established permanently,’’ he said.

Stressing the importance of enduring peace, the Spanish minister highlighted that ‘’security, peace, and stability’’ are essential not only for Palestinians and Israelis but also ‘’for all nations in the Middle East.’’

He underscored the “significant role Türkiye plays" particularly in light of the ‘’major crisis currently facing’’ the world.

This crisis has been thoroughly deliberated upon in “brainstorming sessions’’ between the foreign ministers, Albares said.