Netanyahu Under Fire: Spanish Court to Investigate Gaza Freedom Flotilla Aid Ship Attack
In what can only be perceived as a desperate attempt, the Israeli government is weaponisng the history of Spain, from the Inquisition to the expulsion of the Jews in 1492, criticising the Spanish government and its public opinion at any given opportunity, in an effort to undermine the country’s pro-Palestinian stance, which distances itself not only from antisemitism but also from those in Europe who have remained aligned with Tel Aviv. Spain has now been declared a hostile territory by Israel, which accused the Spanish government of “leading an anti-Israeli crusade.”Meanwhile, the Spanish Central Investigative Court has just initiated preliminary proceedings against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his Foreign Minister Israel Katz, and several high-ranking Israeli military officials.
Last weekend saw the firing of the famous rocket ‘El Txupinazo’ (fireworks), during the opening ceremony of the San Fermin festival, in the city of Pamplona, led by Yala Nafarroa con Palestina, a pro-Palestinian organisation, representing 220 groups from all over Navarre and other areas, who chanted “Long Live Free Palestine” and “Stop the genocide,” ultimately angering the Israeli embassy in Madrid.
VIDEO: The 2025 kick off with a solidarity firework at the San Fermin Festival in Pamplona with a massive display of support for Palestine (Source: LaVanguardia)
The Spaniards are exhibiting a resolute and unyielding stance against genocide and war crimes, and it is now evident that the San Fermin festival was only the beginning. In effect, earlier today, the Central Investigative Court No. 6 of the Spanish National Court initiated preliminary proceedings against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his Foreign Minister Israel Katz, and several high-ranking Israeli military officials for purported war crimes and crimes against humanity. It has been reported that this case comes as a response to the Israeli military’s assaults on the Freedom Flotilla’s vessel ‘Madleen’, which occurred in international waters on June 1 and included Greta Thunberg and a Spanish activist among its passengers. Spanish national Sergio Toribio, who was the only Spanish crew member aboard the Madleen, along with the Committee in Solidarity with the Arab Cause, have lodged a complaint against the aforementioned individuals and group, challenging the legality of the boarding, executed by the elite Israeli unit Shayetet 13, which involved the deployment of drones, firearms, and tear gas, in addition to the arbitrary detention of the twelve activists on board, which included climate activist Greta Thunberg and French MEP Rima Hassan.
Yesterday, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) issued a press release confirming the dispatch of a second vessel to Gaza in a renewed effort to challenge the Israeli blockade of the occupied territories. The vessel is named Handala, inspired by a Palestinian cartoon character symbolising resistance to Israeli occupation, and is scheduled to depart on July 13th, transporting humanitarian assistance for the Palestinian people.
Spanish outlet El Independiente provides details on this case, and what is bound to be a fight against impunity…
Francisco Carrión reports for El Independiente…
SPAIN: The National Court opens a criminal investigation against Netanyahu for the attack on the Freedom Flotilla.
Central Investigative Court No. 6 of the National Court opened preliminary proceedings this Tuesday against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, and several senior Israeli military officials for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity, according to the initiators of the lawsuit. The case stems from the Israeli military assault on the humanitarian ship Madleen , which occurred on June 1 in international waters while en route to Gaza with humanitarian aid and was carrying a Spanish activist.
“In his ruling, the investigating judge considers the reported events to be criminal in nature, and therefore orders the initiation of investigations,” the authors of the initial judicial proceedings detail.
Last week, a complaint was filed by Spanish citizen Sergio Toribio—the sole Spanish crew member of the Madleen—and the Committee in Solidarity with the Arab Cause. Both are legally represented by lawyers Jaume Asens and Endika Zulueta. The complaint alleges that the boarding, carried out by the elite Israeli unit Shayetet 13, included the use of drones, firearms, and tear gas, as well as the arbitrary detention of the twelve activists on board, including climate activist Greta Thunberg and French MEP Rima Hassan.
Denunciation of war crimes and crimes against humanity
According to the complaint, the reported events violate international humanitarian law and could constitute war crimes, crimes against humanity, torture and inhuman treatment, illegal detention, violation of the right to humanitarian assistance, and acts of piracy on the high seas, all of which are prohibited by customary international law.
The text also calls for the issuance of international arrest warrants and cooperation with the International Criminal Court (ICC), which in May had already requested an arrest warrant against Netanyahu for crimes committed in the Gaza Strip.
Among the requested proceedings are witness statements from Thunberg, Hassan and other crew members, as well as the collection of documentary evidence and the incorporation of reports from international organizations on the blockade of Gaza and the assault on the Madleen, a ship belonging to the Freedom Flotilla, which has announced the departure of a new vessel to Gaza on July 13.
For lawyer and MEP Jaume Asens, this opening of proceedings “marks an important step in the fight against impunity.” “When States fail to fulfil their obligations, it must be civil society that activates justice as an ethical, legal, and political tool in the face of horror,” he declares. For his part, Santiago González Vallejo, spokesperson for the Committee in Solidarity with the Arab Cause, emphasises that the proceedings represent “an achievement for the international solidarity movement and a warning to those who believe they can act with total impunity.”
The case is based on the 2010 Mavi Marmara incident, another Israeli attack on a humanitarian mission en route to Gaza, and is part of an international strategy to condemn the blockade, occupation, and attacks on civilian initiatives.
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