Israel recalls ambassador to Spain over Palestine statehood & threatens ‘serious consequences’

Foreign Minister Israel Katz (main image) charged that all three countries were rewarding the Palestinian militant group Hamas for their 7 October attack which sparked the war in the Gaza Strip.

‘The twisted step of these countries is an injustice to the memory of the 7/10 victims,’ he said in a statement.

Israel’s envoys were being recalled from Dublin, Oslo and Madrid for ‘urgent consultations’ and threatened ‘serious consequences’, the minister added.

Katz said that the three countries’ ambassadors were also being summoned for a ‘conversation that would rebuke’ their governments’ decision to recognise a Palestinian state by 28 May.

Hamas launched an attack on 7 October which resulted in the deaths of more than 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to reports based on Israeli official figures.

The militants also took 252 hostages, 124 of whom are still held captive in Gaza, including 37 the Israeli military says are dead.

Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed at least 35,647 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry.

Katz said he would show the three ambassadors a video of the kidnapping of female Israeli soldiers during the Hamas attack.

‘They decided to award a gold medal to the murderers and rapists of Hamas,’ Katz said. ‘We will demonstrate to them what a twisted decision their governments took.’

I issued a severe Démarche for the ambassadors of Spain, Ireland, and Norway in Israel following their governments’ decision to award a gold medal to Hamas terrorists who kidnapped our daughters and burned infants.

During the Démarche, the ambassadors will watch a video of the… pic.twitter.com/hWDPLinJV7

— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) May 22, 2024

ALSO READ: Spain, Ireland, Slovenia to symbolically recognise Palestinian state on 21 May.