Spain today roundly condemned the "brutal attack that has taken the lives of seven aid workers" from Israel in Gaza, and demanded clarification from Tel Aviv.
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From Jordan, where he began a tour of the Middle East, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez spoke out in harsh terms against the Israeli action that led to the death of seven aid workers from the NGO World Central Kitchen, run by Spanish chef José Andrés.
The news caused shockwaves in Spain, where chef José Andrés is a much-loved and respected figure for his humanitarian actions, undertaken with intensity during the Covid-19 pandemic.
They have died while doing what this NGO has been doing for years, and that is feeding people in the midst of so much devastation. I hope and demand that the Israeli government clarifies as soon as possible the circumstances of this brutal attack that has taken the lives of seven aid workers who were doing nothing more than helping,' said Sánchez.
On his way to the Hussein Camp refugee camp of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Middle East (UNRWA), Sánchez was visibly shocked by the incident, according to official sources on Tuesday.
He took the opportunity to demand that Israel urgently allow humanitarian aid access to the Gaza Strip 'as demanded by various international bodies, including the International Court of Justice'.
At the same time, he reminded the Tel Aviv regime that the decisions of that body must be complied with, and reiterated Spain's support for the UNRWA, to which it allocated almost 24 million euros in 2024, despite unproven accusations that some of its members collaborated with the Hamas attacks against Israel on 7 October.
Sánchez left for Amman, Jordan, the first stop on a trip that will also take him to Saudi Arabia and Qatar, in all cases with the idea of exchanging with his interlocutors about the conflict between Israel and Hamas and the need to establish a ceasefire.
Sánchez has insisted on the need to recognise two states, Israel and Palestine, as essential for peace in the region.
The tour, which will conclude on Wednesday night, will also touch on aspects of cooperation and economic and commercial exchange with Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
The visit, according to the Executive, aims to give visibility to the work carried out by UNRWA, which it considers irreplaceable in the region, as well as Spain's support for this UN body.
He will then have an audience in Amman with the King of Jordan, Abdullah II, and on Tuesday he will go to Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), where he will meet with a group of Spanish businessmen and then be received by the Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman.
In Doha on Wednesday, Sánchez will meet with the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who will invite Sánchez to the 'iftar' on that day, when the fasting period of Ramadan is broken.