Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has called on the international community to "raise its voice" to prevent the plight of Palestinians from being forgotten, during a meeting with Palestine’s President Mahmoud Abbas.
Speaking at La Moncloa Palace on Human Rights Day on Wednesday, Sanchez framed the occasion as deeply symbolic, noting the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and stressing that human dignity is "an unconditional, unique and non-negotiable value."
Sanchez also repeated Madrid's support for a two-state solution, describing it as "the only possible solution" to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
He stressed that the recent ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza must be real and not "fictitious", and insisted that attacks on civilians must end.
“The year 2025 has been terrible for the Palestinian people, with nine out of ten homes in Gaza now uninhabitable and thousands of lives and families destroyed,” Sanchez said as he stood alongside Abbas in Madrid.
Citing UN estimates of more than 50 million tonnes of rubble across the enclave, Sanchez said physical reconstruction would eventually be possible, but the greater challenge will be "how to rebuild hope" and ensure that peace is more than "a brief parenthesis between wars."
‘Genuine peace must be based on justice’
He warned that the ceasefire has not ended civilians’ suffering. "Even today, after the ceasefire (declaration), Palestinians in Gaza are still suffering attacks… Genuine peace must be based on justice. Those responsible for this genocide will be held accountable, sooner or later," he said.
Sanchez concluded that Spain and Palestine "will always walk hand in hand," expressing hope that Abbas' visit would help build bridges, seek solutions within the framework of international law, and strengthen ties between the countries.
Abbas thanked Spain for recognising the State of Palestine in May 2024 and praised Madrid's leadership in building an international coalition to expand recognition. He also called for an end to violence in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
Spain, where support for the Palestinian cause is strong, has been one of Europe's most vocal critics of Israel's war on Gaza. Israeli forces have killed more than 70,000 people, mostly women and children, and injured nearly 171,000 others since October 2023.
According to Gaza’s Government Media Office, at least 386 people have been killed and 980 others injured by Israeli army fire since the ceasefire.
