MADRID, June 23, 2025 (WAFA) – Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares has called on the European Union to take bold action by imposing sanctions on Israel over its ongoing military offensive in Gaza, which he described as genocidal.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels on Monday, Albares announced that he would request the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, as well as a ban on arms sales and targeted sanctions against Israeli officials deemed responsible for violations.

Suspending the EU-Israel partnership, which grants Israel preferential trade privileges, would require the support of a qualified majority—at least 15 member states representing 65% of the EU population.

“I will ask my colleagues to have the courage to impose sanctions on Israel,” Albares stated.

With full American support, Israel has been committing genocide in Gaza since October 7, 2023. More than 187,000 Palestinians have been killed or wounded, the majority of them women and children. Over 11,000 people remain missing, and hundreds of thousands have been forcibly displaced.

Y.S