Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has summoned Spanish Ambassador Ana María Salomón Pérez for a reprimanding meeting following remarks made by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.

These statements, made during a session in the Spanish Congress, included a strong denial of allegations claiming Spain is "trading with a genocidal state" referring to Israel.

Sánchez's comments came after criticism from ERC deputy Gabriel Rufian, who accused the Spanish government of engaging with Israel amidst its ongoing military operations in Gaza, which were initiated in response to Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023, in southern Israel.

In response to the accusation, Sánchez emphasized, "We do not trade with a genocidal state; we do not do that, sir." Recently, Sánchez's government revoked a contract worth six million euros for the purchase of 15 million bullets from an Israeli company, amid increasing pressure from the left-wing faction of the coalition advocating for a break in relations with Israel.

Israel had not issued any official statement regarding Sánchez's comments on the day they were made, but later a spokesperson from the foreign ministry in Jerusalem confirmed the meeting with the Spanish ambassador.

The spokesperson stated, "Following the harsh declarations of the Spanish Prime Minister, Ana María Salomón Pérez has been summoned for a reprimand meeting tomorrow at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem."

The diplomatic relationship between Israel and Spain has significantly deteriorated over the past 19 months, marking the most strained period since formal diplomatic relations were established in 1986. Notably, Israel has not appointed a new ambassador to Madrid since the departure of Rodica Radian-Gordon in May 2024.

The summoning of the Spanish ambassador recalls a similar incident from a year earlier, where she, alongside representatives from Ireland and Norway, was called to the Israeli foreign ministry to address the recognition of Palestinian statehood announced by the three European nations.

At that time, Sánchez publicly criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, denouncing the military actions in Gaza and advocating for Palestinian statehood based on prior borders before the 1967 war.

A spokesperson for the Israeli Foreign Ministry condemned Sánchez's remarks post the recognition announcement, claiming it awarded legitimacy to Hamas and terrorism in light of the brutal attacks.

The ongoing conflict in Gaza continues to attract increasing criticism and isolation for Israel from the international community as armed groups aligned with Iran become increasingly involved.

The conflict has seen sporadic ceasefires, with only two notable breaks since the escalation began, one towards the end of November 2023, and another lasting two months beginning on January 19, 2024, during which a significant number of hostages abducted during the October attacks were released.