MADRID, Oct 14 — Spain is upholding its accusation of genocide against Israel and maintaining its arms embargo despite the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the German Press Agency (dpa) reported.
"Peace cannot mean forgetting or impunity," Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said in an interview with the broadcaster Cadena SER that aired on Tuesday, adding that the main perpetrators of the genocide in Gaza will have to answer in court.
The United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide defines genocide as the deliberate persecution of groups of people distinguished by language, religion, and tradition to destroy the group in whole or in part.
He welcomed the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas as an opportunity for peace. However, Spain's arms embargo against Israel would remain in place until peace in Gaza is fully secured.
"We must consolidate the ceasefire," Sánchez said.
He participated in a peace summit in Egypt on Monday with leaders from more than 20 countries, where the states that mediated between Israel and Hamas signed a joint declaration to strengthen the agreed ceasefire.
The ceasefire has been in effect since last Friday. On Monday, Israel released imprisoned Palestinians, while Hamas freed all remaining surviving hostages held in Gaza.
Within the European Union, Spain is among the harshest critics of Israel's military actions in the Gaza Strip. The arms embargo, initially imposed by decree and later approved by parliament, is intended to stop the trade in arms and other goods and technologies with dual-use purposes that the Israeli military could use.
