• Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez labels Israel's actions in Gaza as "genocide."
• At least 76 people were killed by Israeli forces in a recent escalation, according to reports.
• Sanchez urges the EU to suspend its cooperation agreement with Israel over human rights violations.
• Gaza experiences catastrophic humanitarian conditions amid severe shortages of food and medicine.
• The Israeli embassy criticized Sanchez's remarks as "demonizing" Israel.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez described the situation in Gaza as a “catastrophic genocide,” marking a significant condemnation from a European leader regarding the Israeli military actions. On Thursday, Sanchez made his comments just before an EU summit in Brussels, asserting that Israel's military operations have resulted in numerous civilian deaths and invoked humanitarian crises in the embattled region, where reports state that at least 76 people were killed by Israeli forces on that day alone, according to the Gaza's civil defense agency led by Mohammad Al-Mughair, confirmed by Indiatimes, Le Monde, and TRT Global.

Sanchez pointed to an EU report that indicated potential breaches of human rights obligations by Israel, urging the European Union to immediately suspend its association agreement with the country. He stated, “Gaza is in a catastrophic situation of genocide,” highlighting the dire conditions faced by the Palestinian population, which has been continuously affected by ongoing bombardments and blockades. Nearly 56,259 Palestinians have reportedly been killed since the outbreak of hostilities, with more than half of those casualties being civilians, according to Gaza's health ministry, as quoted by Indiatimes, Le Monde, and TRT Global.

The situation in Gaza has deteriorated significantly, with many experiencing famine-like conditions due to the war and a lack of essential supplies. Following a long blockade, limited aid began trickling into the territory at the end of May, but the distribution has faced chaos, and there have been reports of Israeli forces firing on civilians attempting to collect rations. Witnesses shared harrowing accounts of families losing loved ones amidst the turmoil and urged for international attention, according to reports from Indiatimes, Le Monde, and TRT Global.

In response to Sanchez's remarks, the Israeli embassy in Madrid denounced the accusations as "demonizing" and stated that Spain was "on the wrong side of history." The Spanish government responded by summoning the embassy's chargé d'affaires and labeling the reaction as "unacceptable." Sanchez’s comments signal a growing divide within Europe regarding responses to Israel's actions in Gaza, as humanitarian organizations continuously emphasize the dire need for assistance and the worsening conditions, as outlined by Indiatimes, Le Monde, and TRT Global.