GENEVA: Spain will contribute an additional €500,000 (over US$560,000) to support United Nations (UN) investigations into human rights violations and possible war crimes committed in Gaza, Anadolu Ajansi (AA) reported, citing Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares announcement on Monday.
“With the aim of ending these violations of international law and with the desire to ensure accountability, I announce that we will support the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in increasing its investigative efforts into human rights violations and war crimes that may have been committed in Gaza,” Albares told Spain’s Committee on Foreign Affairs.
He called the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza amid Israeli aid blockade “totally and absolutely unacceptable,“ holding Tel Aviv responsible for “causing an unprecedented famine.”
“The urgent entry of food is necessary to save the lives of innocent Palestinians,“ he said. “The civilian population of Gaza deserves dignity and peace, and Spain demands it and will continue to demand it.”
Last week, Spain participated in oral proceedings at the International Court of Justice concerning Israel’s obligations as an occupying power in the occupied Palestinian territories.
There, Spain reiterated Tel Aviv’s responsibility to comply with its obligations under international and humanitarian law, including ensuring the basic needs of the population and cooperating with the UN.
Since March 2, Israel has closed Gaza’s crossings, blocking essential supplies from entering the enclave despite multiple reports of famine in the war-devastated territory.
Last week, Ismail Thawabteh, director of Gaza’s government media office, told Anadolu that the enclave had entered “an advanced stage of famine” due to the continued closure of border crossings and Israel’s renewed military onslaught.
More than 52,500 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since October 2023, most of them women and children.
