Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said Madrid would not approve Israel’s annexation of the West Bank in any form. Albares said the European Union must adopt a firm and clear position on violations in the region and called for Gaza’s reconstruction to be led by Palestinians.
Speaking at the conference titled “The Middle East at a crossroads: A progressive vision,” organized by the Socialists and Democrats Group in the European Parliament, Albares said unilateral and violent steps were increasingly weakening the international order. He said developments in the Middle East were directly linked to Europe’s security and prosperity and that Europe could not remain passive in the face of events in the region.
Albares said European countries should defend the dignity of the peoples of the region in line with their own values and principles. He said decisions taken by Europe could shape the direction of the Middle East in the coming decades.
Gaza’s reconstruction must be led by Palestinians
Albares said the approach of managing a conflict that had continued for years should give way to a genuine search for a solution. He said wars, broken ceasefires, forced displacement and the severe humanitarian conditions faced by civilians showed the failure of diplomacy.
Albares stressed that the foreign policy of the European Union and European countries must begin with diplomacy, saying war could never be a strategy or political program. He said the severe suffering of civilians in Gaza and Lebanon had undermined confidence in the international community.
Albares said humanitarian aid to Gaza was not reaching those in need in sufficient quantities and announced that Madrid had increased its humanitarian support for Palestinians. He said Spain had significantly increased its contribution to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees and that some measures adopted by Spain in September 2025 had begun to be implemented by other countries as well.
Albares said the Palestinian administration should receive financial support and that Spain had joined an emergency aid initiative established for this purpose. He said rebuilding Gaza was necessary both as a humanitarian imperative and for regional stability, adding that the process must be led by Palestinians.
Albares also said Gaza should be treated, together with the West Bank and East Jerusalem, as an integral part of the Palestinian state.
West Bank violence threatens the two-state solution
Albares said the rise in violence by settlers in the West Bank and the expansion of settlements were endangering efforts toward a two-state solution. He opposed Israel’s settlement policy and acts of violence that went unpunished.
Reiterating that Spain would not accept the annexation of the West Bank, Albares said they would continue to apply pressure to hold accountable those obstructing the implementation of the two-state solution. He said the European Union’s failure to establish a minimum common position among its 27 members based on international law and shared principles created a problem for the Union’s authority.
Albares recalled that Spain had called for an international conference to achieve a final resolution to the conflict and said Madrid was coordinating its work with its Arab and European partners. He said Spain had recognized the State of Palestine in 2024 and that these steps showed that international consensus in favor of a two-state solution was strengthening.
The Palestinian administration must take part in decision-making
Albares said Palestinians’ right to participate in decision-making processes must be guaranteed to find a long-term solution to the Gaza crisis and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He described the Palestinian administration as a key partner in the peace process.
Albares said Spain was working to ensure that the Palestinian administration took part in all transition mechanisms.
A regional approach for Iran, the Gulf, Lebanon and Syria
Albares said the Middle East crisis was not limited to Palestine and that developments involving Iran, the Gulf states and Yemen should be assessed within a comprehensive regional approach. He said the European Union must clearly condemn the repression carried out by Iran’s administration and attacks against regional partners, particularly the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
Albares called for Lebanon’s territorial integrity to be preserved and said developments causing deaths and destruction in the country’s south must end. He called for Europe to strongly support efforts to restore the Lebanese government’s monopoly over arms and state control throughout the country.
Albares said Europe should take part in any new mission that could be established after the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon. He said such a mission should guarantee both the security of the people of Israel and the Lebanese government’s sovereignty over the country.
Albares said Syria’s territorial integrity and sovereignty must be respected and announced that they were ready to contribute to stabilization efforts through a peaceful and inclusive political transition. Reiterating his call for Israeli forces to withdraw from the occupied Golan Heights, Albares said the partial easing of sanctions by the United States and the European Union could create an opportunity for Syria’s economic recovery with support from the region.
