Madrid (EFE).- Spain’s lower house of parliament approved on Wednesday a total arms embargo on Israel, a measure announced in September by Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in response to Israel’s ongoing military offensive in the Gaza Strip.
The Congress of Deputies ratified a royal decree that legally consolidates the “total” suspension of arms sales to Israel and bans trade with goods produced in the occupied Palestinian territories, while allowing limited exceptions “to safeguard Spain’s national interest.”
The decree was passed with the support of the ruling left-wing coalition of PSOE (Partido Socialista Obrero Español) and Sumar, along with allies such as Podemos and several nationalist parties.
It was opposed by the conservative Popular Party (PP) and the far-right Vox.
Under the decree, Spain will prohibit exports and imports of defense equipment, dual-use technologies, and aviation fuels that could be used for military purposes in Israel.
It also bans the import of products originating from illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The embargo decree, first approved by the Spanish government on Sep. 23, required ratification by parliament within 30 days.
With Wednesday’s vote, it now carries full legislative weight.
Although the measure passed, members of Sumar, the government’s junior coalition partner, expressed interest in tightening the embargo further.
The progressive alliance wants to remove exceptions that allow Spain’s Council of Ministers to authorize certain defense-related operations “on a case-by-case basis.”
“The embargo must be absolute — no loopholes, no discretionary authorizations,” Sumar lawmakers argued during the debate, emphasizing that Spain should take a firm stand on human rights and international law.
The Israeli Embassy in Spain sharply criticized the timing of the parliamentary vote, calling it “perverse, inhuman, and abhorrent” because it was initially scheduled for Oct. 7, the anniversary of Hamas’ attacks on Israel in 2023. The vote was later moved to Oct. 8.
The embargo is one of nine initiatives announced by Sánchez in early September in response to what he described as Israel’s “genocide” against the Palestinian people.
Other measures include denying Israeli military aircraft access to Spanish airspace and increasing aid to the Palestinian Authority (PA).
Spain has maintained an informal halt on arms exports to Israel since Oct. 2023, but this decree codifies the ban into law, making Spain the first European country to formalize such a measure at the legislative level.
In his September announcement, Sánchez said that “Spain cannot remain indifferent to the suffering in Gaza” and that the government would continue to “lead Europe’s response in demanding accountability and a lasting ceasefire.” EFE
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