Netanyahu criticizes Spain for ‘defaming’ IDF ‘heroes’

(SeaPRwire) –   The action follows Madrid’s accusation that Israel violated a ceasefire in Lebanon through “indiscriminate bombings”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sharply criticized Spain over what he described as ongoing opposition to Israel and the “defaming” of its military, following Madrid’s condemnation of the IDF for recent strikes in Lebanon.

In a Friday video address, Netanyahu said he ordered Spain’s removal from the U.S.-backed coordination center in Kiryat Gat that monitors the Gaza ceasefire, framing the move as punishment for Spain’s anti-Israel stance.

“Israel will not remain silent in the face of those who attack us. Spain has defamed our heroes, IDF soldiers – the soldiers of the most moral army in the world,” Netanyahu said. “Spain has chosen repeatedly to stand against Israel… I do not intend to allow any country to wage a diplomatic war against us without paying an immediate price.”

Spanish officials, including Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, have been among the most vocal critics of the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, warning that further escalation would bring severe humanitarian and economic consequences. Last month, Spain closed its airspace to U.S. aircraft linked to the war and permanently withdrew its ambassador from Israel, downgrading diplomatic ties.

Spain has also denounced the Israeli strikes on Lebanon on April 8 – mere hours after a two-week U.S.-Iran ceasefire was announced – accusing the IDF of violating international law and breaking the truce.

The strikes – dubbed “Operation Eternal Darkness” – lasted ten minutes but are considered the most intense aerial assault since the broader U.S.-Israel war against Iran began on February 28. The IDF stated it hit around 100 Hezbollah targets and killed over 180 militants. Lebanese authorities reported at least 357 people, mostly civilians, were killed and more than 1,223 wounded.

Following the strikes, Sanchez slammed Netanyahu’s “contempt for life and international law,” calling it “intolerable” and urging Brussels to suspend the EU association agreement with Israel. Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares echoed the criticism, describing the strikes as a “shame for the conscience of humanity” and accusing the IDF of “indiscriminate bombings” targeting civilians under the guise of fighting Hezbollah.

Further angering Israel, Albares announced on Thursday the reopening of the Spanish Embassy in Tehran and the return of its ambassador – a move he said aims to help de-escalate the war and support peace talks in Pakistan.

Senior Iranian and U.S. negotiators are in Islamabad for what Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called a “make-or-break moment” to turn the fragile ceasefire into a broader deal.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, leading Tehran’s delegation, said he arrived with goodwill tempered by deep mistrust, noting the U.S. attacked Iran “twice within less than a year” during negotiations. U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, leading the American team, said he expects productive talks but warned Iran not to “play” the U.S.