Pedro Sánchez reaffirms Spain's commitment to Palestine and the two-state solution to Mahmoud Abbas

Moncloa Palace, Madrid

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, receives the President of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbas, upon his arrival at the Moncloa Palace (Pool Moncloa / Borja Puig de la Bellacasa)

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, received the President of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbas, coinciding with International Human Rights Day. This is the Palestinian leader's second visit since Spain recognised the State of Palestine.

Pedro Sánchez described the meeting as "an honour," especially on a symbolic date that commemorates the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted 77 years ago. The President of the Government of Spain stressed that "human dignity is an unconditional, unique, and non-negotiable value," thus conveying Spain's solidarity with the humanitarian situation in Gaza and reaffirming its commitment to multilateralism to achieve a peaceful solution.

Reaffirming Spain's commitment to the Palestinian cause and the two-state solution, President Sánchez has established three priorities: to raise awareness to guarantee a genuine ceasefire and ensure that the dramatic situation in Gaza is not forgotten; to support the Palestinian Authority so that it plays a central role in the future governance of the country; and to promote cooperation with international partners to develop the necessary security foundations to end the violence.

Meeting between the President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, and the President of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbas | Pool Moncloa / Borja Puig de la Bellacasa

During the meeting, the President of the Government of Spain lamented the scale of the humanitarian tragedy, highlighting not only the destruction of infrastructure-with nine out of ten homes uninhabitable and schools and hospitals reduced to rubble-but also the pain of thousands of families who have lost loved ones. According to UN figures, more than 50 million tonnes of rubble cover Gaza. "It will take more or less time to remove them, but we will succeed. The most urgent thing is to rebuild hope. And to ensure that peace is much more than a brief interlude between wars," he stated, emphasising the need to rebuild Gaza not only materially, but also based on justice and reparations for the victims.

Pedro Sánchez warned that, despite the ceasefire, the population of Gaza continues to suffer attacks, violence, and restrictions that violate their basic rights such as life, food, education, health, and freedom of movement. "To rebuild hope, we need a true peace, founded on justice," he noted, reiterating that those responsible for the genocide must be held accountable "so that such a tragedy is never repeated."

"Spain will always walk hand in hand with Palestine. A friendly country. A brotherly country", he concluded, convinced that President Abbas's visit will strengthen bilateral ties and the commitment to solutions based on international law.

Non official translation