The Spanish Attorney General has authorized the creation of a team to investigate human rights violations in Gaza after Spanish police and prosecutors found potential evidence that Israel has committed crimes “against the international community” in the Gaza Strip.
In a statement on Thursday, the Attorney General’s office said the team will “collect and preserve sources of evidence” to hand over to the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is investigating potential violations of international human rights law.
The statement added:
“This initiative aligns with the recommendations of the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, which called on member states to cooperate with the ICC’s investigation.”
On Tuesday, the commission concluded that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, citing tens of thousands of civilian casualties and widespread destruction, and urged member states to hold those responsible accountable.
In an interview with Cadena Ser radio on Thursday, Spain’s Human Rights and Democratic Memory prosecutor, Dolores Delgado, said that increasing evidence is emerging as the Israeli offensive in Gaza continues.
“We have never before seen possible violations of international human rights law in real time,” she said. “We must preserve this evidentiary material. Imagine if we had such real-time evidence during the Holocaust.”
The Attorney General’s announcement comes as Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, one of Europe’s harshest critics of Israel’s offensive in Gaza, prepares to meet German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Madrid to discuss bilateral relations and investments.
Merz’s first visit to Spain since assuming office in May is expected to be marked by a much more cautious stance on the Gaza issue.
Last week, Sánchez announced measures to increase pressure on Benjamin Netanyahu to halt the military campaign, saying Israel is “wiping out a defenseless population” by bombing hospitals and “killing innocent children from hunger.”
Although Merz last month suspended German military exports that could be used in Gaza, he has refused to join international efforts to recognize a Palestinian state, stating that the necessary conditions have not yet been met.
Spain, along with Ireland and Norway, officially recognized the Palestinian state in May 2024.
