JERUSALEM, April 10 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Friday that he has instructed the removal of Spainish representatives from a U.S.-led coordination center in southern Israel, citing Spain's repeated "stand against Israel."
The Civil-Military Coordination Center in Kiryat Gat was established in October 2025 under a ceasefire agreement to coordinate stabilization and humanitarian relief efforts in the Gaza Strip.
"Israel will not remain silent in the face of those who attack us," Netanyahu said in a statement released by his office, accusing Spain of defaming Israeli soldiers.
"Those who attack Israel instead of terrorist regimes will not be our partners regarding the future of the region," he stated.
Netanyahu added, "I am not willing to tolerate this hypocrisy and hostility. I do not intend to allow any country to wage a diplomatic war against us without paying an immediate price."
Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said in a separate statement that "anti-Israel bias" has rendered Spain incapable of playing a constructive role in implementing the U.S.-backed peace plan.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Wednesday condemned Israel's strikes on Lebanon, calling them a violation of international law, and called for Lebanon to be included in the current ceasefire arrangements.
In a post on social media platform X, he said that Netanyahu had launched "the harshest attack against Lebanon since the beginning of the offensive," describing such actions as reflecting an "intolerable disregard for life and international law."
Israel launched large-scale airstrikes on Lebanon on Wednesday. The death toll from the attacks had risen to 303, with 1,150 injured, according to a preliminary toll released Thursday by the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health. ■
