Keir Starmer and Spain’s Pedro Sanchez condemned the Gaza crisis, with Sanchez warning Europe’s “failure” response risks damaging its global credibility.
During their Wednesday afternoon meeting at Downing Street, the two leaders were also scheduled to sign a bilateral agreement.
Mr. Sanchez said prior to his meeting with Sir Keir that the crisis is "one of the darkest episodes of international relations in the 21st century."
“It is a failure,”
said Mr Sanchez, the first European leader to accuse Israel of committing genocide in Gaza.
He added:
“Absolutely. It is also the reality that, within the EU, there are countries that are divided when it comes to how to influence Israel. But in my opinion, it’s not acceptable and we can’t last longer if we want to increase our credibility when it comes to other crises, such as the one we face in Ukraine.”
His remarks follow reports from regional health officials that attacks around the Gaza Strip killed 31 individuals as Israel continues its massive war campaign.
During their meeting in the white chamber at Downing Street, the Prime Minister stated that they would talk about the "dreadful situation in Gaza," the conflict in Ukraine, and commercial relations between the United Kingdom and Spain.
Meanwhile, Mr. Sanchez called the Middle East situation a "terrible tragedy."
In order to improve cooperation on issues like migration, economic growth, and other common interests, the two leaders announced that they would be signing a new bilateral agreement.
The deal comes after the governments of Sir Keir and Mr. Sanchez mediated an agreement with the EU to eliminate border controls at Gibraltar for the summer.
Which EU countries did Sanchez imply are divided over influencing Israel?
Countries such as Spain and Ireland called for stronger action against Israel, specifically economic sanctions and arms embargoes. Other member states, such as Germany and Hungary, dismissed calls for punitive actions.
EU nations are clearly divided on how far , and in what manner they should exert pressure on Israel in light of the current conflict in Gaza.
The essential point is that there is division across the EU, with some countries calling for tougher responses against Israel and some resisting them,..along with time lost later in adopting a weak , and inconsistent overall European policy toward the problems caused by the Gaza crisis.