The Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC) in Kiryat Gat was set up after the ceasefire took effect on Oct 10, with the goal of monitoring the truce and facilitating the flow of humanitarian aid into the Palestinian territory.

As part of the CMCC, military personnel and diplomats from several other countries, including France, Britain and the UAE, are also present and participate in meetings on security and humanitarian issues in Gaza, devastated by more than two years of war.

Representatives of Spain have also been participating in the work of CMCC until now.

However, today, Israel’s foreign ministry announced it was preventing Spain from attending CMCC meetings.

“The Sanchez government’s anti-Israel bias is so egregious that it has lost all capability to serve as a constructive actor in implementing president Trump’s peace plan in the CMCC,” foreign minister Gideon Saar said in a statement.

“Spain will not be permitted to participate in the CMCC in Kiryat Gat,” Saar said.

Relations between Israel and Spain have deteriorated significantly since Madrid recognised a Palestinian state in 2024.

Both countries have withdrawn their ambassadors.

Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez has been one of the most vocal critics of Israel’s war on Gaza, which broke out after Palestinian movement Hamas attacked Israel on Oct 7, 2023.

He had also opposed the US-Israeli military strikes on Iran that began on Feb 28.

Sarr has previously accused the Spanish government of “standing with tyrants” by opposing the US-Israeli attacks on Iran.

He also accused Spain of being “complicit in inciting genocide against Jews and war crimes” after it recognised a Palestinian state.

Spain only established diplomatic ties with Israel in 1986 following the death of dictator General Francisco Franco in 1975.

Under Franco, Spain avoided recognising Israel and maintained closer diplomatic ties with Arab states.