Spain permanently withdraws ambassador to Israel

Spain permanently withdrew its ambassador to Israel on Tuesday as a diplomatic standoff worsened between the two countries over Spain's opposition to the US-Israeli attacks on Iran.

Ana Maria Salomon was officially relieved of her duties on Tuesday at the proposal of Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares, in a decree signed by King Felipe VI and published in the official state journal.

She was recalled from Tel Aviv in September after Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez unveiled measures aimed at stopping what he called "genocide" in Gaza, where Israel fought a devastating war following the 2023 attacks by Palestinian militant group Hamas.

The ambassador was summoned back to Spain last September amid a diplomatic row over Spanish measures banning aircraft and ships carrying weapons to Israel from its ports or airspace due to Israel's military offensive in Gaza, which Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar denounced as antisemitic.

On Tuesday, Spain published an announcement in its official gazette that the ambassador's position had been terminated. Spain's Foreign Ministry said its embassy in Tel Aviv will be led by a charge d'affaires for the foreseeable future.

The move marks the latest escalation in diplomatic relations between the two countries, which have been heavily strained since Israel launched its genocidal war on the Gaza Strip in October of 2023.

Israel's embassy in Spain is also run by a charge d'affaires after the country summoned its ambassador last May in protest at Spain's decision to recognise a Palestinian state.

Tensions have heightened since the US-Israeli war on Iran, with Sa'ar accusing Spain in early March of "standing with tyrants" for opposing the war.