Spain on Thursday announced significant increases in funding for the International Criminal Court and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency.
Madrid said upped it financial support for “the dignity and rights of Palestinian refugees, but also in defense of international law, of the U.N. and its organizations, essential to guarantee world peace and security.”
This decision comes after the ICC issued arrest warrants on Nov. 21 for alleged genocide for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Israel cut ties with the terror-linked UNRWA.
Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares announced a €1.6 million ($1.7 million) funding boost for the ICC, elevating Spain to one of the court’s top 10 financial backers.
“We want international law, not impunity, to prevail,” Albares said, emphasizing Spain’s commitment to “international justice.” The minister also expressed support for South Africa’s genocide case against Israel in the International Court of Justice, a prosecution Spain asked to join in June.
Simultaneously, Albares announced an additional €4 million ($4.22 million) contribution to UNRWA, describing the agency as a “factor of stability” in the region. This funding increase comes after dozens of UNRWA staff were involved in the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, assisted in imprisoning Israeli hostages in Gaza, and directly supported Hamas’s attacks and efforts to fight the IDF in Gaza. The allegations, for which Israel has supplied ample evidence, have led several countries, including the U.S., to suspend their support for the agency.
Spain’s actions align with its broader stance on the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has been vocal in his criticism of the IDF’s operations in Gaza, urging the European Union to suspend its free trade agreement with Israel and recognize “Palestine” as an independent state.
The Spanish government has also taken steps to limit arms exports to Israel and recognized “Palestine” as a state in May, in a coordinated move with Ireland and Norway.
