Spain PM alleges 'genocide' in Gaza as rescuers say 56 killed
Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Thursday (June 26, 2025) became the most prominent European leader to describe the situation in Gaza as a "genocide", as rescuers in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory said Israeli forces killed 56 people.
After more than 20 months of devastating conflict, rights groups say Gaza's population of more than two million face famine-like conditions.
Israel began allowing supplies to trickle in at the end of May following a blockade of more than two months, but distribution has been marred by chaotic scenes and near-daily reports of Israeli forces firing on those waiting to collect rations.
Israel, meanwhile, is pressing its bombardment of the territory, in a military offensive it says is aimed at defeating militant group Hamas — whose unprecedented October 2023 attack on Israel triggered the war.
Spain's Sanchez said Gaza was in a "catastrophic situation of genocide" and urged the European Union to immediately suspend its cooperation deal with Israel.
The comments represent the strongest condemnation to date by Mr. Sanchez, an outspoken critic of Israel's offensive who is one of the first European leaders, and the most senior, to use the term "genocide" to describe the situation in Gaza.
Speaking ahead of an EU summit in Brussels, Mr. Sanchez mentioned an EU report which found "indications" Israel was breaching its rights obligations under the cooperation deal, which forms the basis for trade ties.
The text cited Israel's blockade of humanitarian aid for the Palestinian territory, the high number of civilian casualties, attacks on journalists and the massive displacement and destruction caused by the war.
The spokesman for Gaza's civil defence agency, Mahmud Bassal, said Israeli forces killed 56 people on Thursday, including six who were waiting for aid in two separate locations.
The Israeli military said its troops had "fired warning shots" in order to prevent "suspects from approaching them" near the Netzarim corridor in central Gaza, where Palestinians gather each night for rations.
'Only two girls survived'
Israel began its Gaza offensive to destroy Hamas and rescue hostages seized by militants during the October 7, 2023, attack, which resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
Israel's military campaign has killed at least 56,259 people, also mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza. The United Nations considers its figures reliable.
AFP footage from a hospital in central Gaza on Wednesday showed Palestinians sobbing over bloodied body bags containing their loved ones who had been killed in an Israeli strike.
"They (killed) the father, mother and brothers, only two girls survived. One of them is a baby girl aged one year and two months and the other one is five years old," one mourner said.
Beyond daily bombardment, Gaza's Health Ministry says that since late May, nearly 550 people have been killed near aid centres while seeking scarce supplies.
The United Nations has condemned the "weaponisation of food" in Gaza, and slammed a U.S.- and Israeli-backed body that has largely replaced established humanitarian organisations there.
The privately run Gaza Humanitarian Foundation was brought into the territory in late May, but its operations have been marred by chaotic scenes, deaths and neutrality concerns.
The GHF denies deadly incidents have occurred in the immediate vicinity of its aid points.
Israeli restrictions on media in Gaza and difficulties in accessing some areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by rescuers and authorities in the territory.
Ceasefire push
U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters Wednesday that "I think great progress is being made on Gaza" to end the Israel-Hamas war.
He linked his optimism about imminent "very good news" to a ceasefire agreed Tuesday between Israel and Hamas's backer Iran to end their 12-day war.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces growing calls from opposition politicians, relatives of hostages being held in Gaza and even members of his ruling coalition to bring an end to the fighting.
Key mediator Qatar said this week it would launch a new push for a ceasefire.
Hamas official Taher al-Nunu on Wednesday said talks with mediators had "intensified" but said the group had "not yet received any new proposals" to end the war.
Israel declined to comment on any new ceasefire talks beyond saying efforts to return Israeli hostages in Gaza were ongoing "on the battlefield and via negotiations".
Of the 251 hostages seized by Palestinian militants during the Hamas attack, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Indian Express
20 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
Market surges 15% from April lows, edges closer to peak levels
Defying tariff and geopolitical tensions, India's equity benchmarks, the BSE Sensex and NSE Nifty, have surged nearly 15% each from their early-April lows and are now approaching record highs. Extending gains for the third consecutive session on Thursday, the Sensex jumped 1,000.36 points (1.21%) to close at 83,755.87, while the Nifty50 rose 304.25 points (1.21%) to settle at 25,549.00. The Sensex now sits just 2,200 points shy of its all-time high of 85,978, and the Nifty is within 730 points of its peak (26,277). The market had nosedived between late March and early April after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a reciprocal tax on goods imported into the world's largest economy. The move stoked fears of an all-out global trade war, with retaliatory tariffs announced by China, the EU, and others. On April 7, the Sensex had plunged about 4,000 points intraday to hit a 52-week low of 71,725 and the Nifty 50 tumbled 1,150 points to hit a low of 21,744.
New Indian Express
27 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
'Compelled to devote time to national, security issues': Netanyahu asks court to postpone corruption trial
Trump on Wednesday described the case against Netanyahu as a "witch hunt." In a message on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the Netanyahu trial "should be CANCELLED, IMMEDIATELY, or a Pardon given to a Great Hero," after the end of a 12-day war with Iran which was triggered by Israel's unprovoked attack on Tehran. Netanyahu on Thursday thanked Trump for his "heartfelt support for me and your incredible support for Israel and the Jewish people." "I look forward to continue working with you to defeat our common enemies, liberate our hostages and quickly expand the circle of peace," Netanyahu wrote on X, sharing a copy of Trump's Truth Social post. Israel's opposition leader warned Trump against interfering in Israel's internal affairs. "We are thankful to President Trump, but... the president should not interfere in a judicial trial in an independent country," Yair Lapid said in an interview with news website Ynet. Netanyahu is Israel's longest-serving prime minister. The trial, in connection with three criminal cases against Netanyahu, has been delayed many times since it began in May 2020. In a first case, Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, are accused of accepting more than $260,000 worth of luxury goods such as cigars, jewellery and champagne from billionaires in exchange for political favours. In two other cases, Netanyahu is accused of attempting to negotiate more favourable coverage in two Israeli media outlets. Netanyahu has denied any wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty. Israeli opposition leaders and several experts see the delay in a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Palestinian group Hamas, which could halt the genocidal war in Gaza, as a desperate measure by Netanyahu to evade the corruption trial. (With inputs from Online Desk)
India Gazette
29 minutes ago
- India Gazette
When opportunity turns to uncertainty: Indian migrants under fire in Israel
About 150 laborers from northern India were stranded in Israeli cities that were struck by Iranian missiles When sirens wailed across Israeli cities and missiles from Iran struck Israeli territory, about 150 Indian construction workers from the Bahraich district in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh found themselves caught in an increasingly dangerous situation, desperately seeking a way home. The workers, who traveled to Israel over the past year seeking better economic opportunities, faced a harsh reality: trapped between the promise of steady income and the very real threat of becoming casualties in a regional conflict. Sandeep, a resident of the Mihipurwa area, spoke to his family on the phone from Hadera, painting a grim picture of daily life under fire. "Missiles are falling here, but we get alerts before they hit," he explained to worried relatives back home. "When the sirens start, we run to the bunkers and hide. These daily situations are affecting our work, and now we just want to come home." The situation created a painful dilemma for the workers and their families. While the income from Israel has provided unprecedented financial stability - with workers earning around 160,000 rupees (about $1863) per month, compared to much lower wages in rural India - the escalating violence made the cost of this prosperity potentially too high to bear. Kamlavati, whose husband Gopal has been working in Israel for a year, captured the anguish felt by families back home. "My husband has been working safely in Israel for a year, and in this situation, we demand from the government that he be sent back home safely," she said. "Because now, seeing the conditions in Israel, we are getting scared." The irony of their situation is not lost on the families. Kamlavati described how the money from Israel has transformed their lives - they've been able to build a new home and provide better opportunities for their children. Her daughter has started attending school, while her younger son is still very small. But the fear for her husband's safety has overshadowed these material gains. "We are getting money - he gets 160,000 rupees and keeps sending money home regularly, which helps run the household," she explained. "But now, seeing the new house being built doesn't feel good. We just want the children's father to come back." The workers are part of a larger Indian diaspora in Israel. According to Indian Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh, as of December 4, 2024, 6,583 Indian workers had reached Israel for employment, recruited by Israeli authorities and deployed across 195 Israeli companies. Of these workers, 2,325 were engaged in building construction, 1,906 in iron bending, 1,578 in plastering, and 774 in ceramic tiling - all essential skills for Israel's construction industry. Mihipurwa has been particularly affected by this migration. Local official Shravan Kumar Madeshia revealed that 250 people from the area had filled out application forms for work in Israel, with 150 being selected and currently working there. This represents a significant portion of the area's working-age population, making tensions in West Asia a community-wide concern. The families of brothers Sandeep and Sanjay exemplify the collective anxiety gripping the region. "Both brothers have been living in Israel for a year, but now seeing the terrible war between Iran and Israel, we want our sons to return home safely," their relatives said. The conflict escalated dramatically before the countries agreed to a ceasefire on Tuesday. Recent Iranian missile attacks hit residential areas in Tel Aviv, bringing the war directly to neighborhoods where many of the Indian workers live and work. Israeli rescue workers and security personnel inspect and clear the buildings and area hit by an Iranian rocket on June 16, 2025 in Central Tel Aviv, Israel. Alexi J. Rosenfeld / Getty Images The tense environment presents a stark contrast to the hopes these workers had when they first arrived in Israel. For many from rural Uttar Pradesh, the opportunity to work in Israel represented a chance to escape poverty and provide for their families in ways that would have been impossible at home. The monthly salary is several times what they could earn in similar work in India. However, the reality of living in a war zone has quickly overshadowed these economic benefits. The workers described a daily routine of constant vigilance - working while listening for air raid sirens, knowing that at any moment they might need to run for shelter. The psychological toll of this existence is evident in their desperate pleas to return home. The absence of available flights made their situation even more precarious. Commercial aviation has been severely disrupted due to the conflict, with many airlines suspending or limiting services to and from Israel. This has left the workers with no clear path home, despite their growing desperation to leave. The Indian government faces a delicate diplomatic challenge in the Middle East. India maintains strong relationships with both Israel and Iran, and has refused to join international condemnations of Israeli actions. New Delhi is accustomed to balancing ties with rival states during crises, but the most recent presented a particularly difficult test. For the families in Bahraich, the geopolitical complexities matter little compared to their immediate concern: bringing their loved ones home safely. The transformation of their economic fortunes has come at an unexpected cost - the constant fear that their primary breadwinners might become casualties in a conflict that has nothing to do with them. With hundreds of people requiring hospital treatment, the Indian workers found themselves in an increasingly untenable position. They were neither combatants nor civilians in the traditional sense, but economic migrants caught in the crossfire of a regional conflict. During the recent crisis, when families in rural India waited anxiously for news from their loved ones, and workers huddled themselves in bunkers to the sound of sirens, one could not help but be reminded that in our interconnected world, no conflict is truly local, and its human toll extends far beyond the immediate theater of war.
