Join on WhatsApp
Join on Telegram
Doha – Housni Abdel Wahed, the first Palestinian ambassador to Spain, presented his credentials to King Felipe VI on Monday in a formal ceremony at the royal palace in Madrid.
The move comes after Spain, along with Ireland and Norway, formally recognized the state of Palestine in May.
Abdel Wahed had served as the head of the Palestinian diplomatic mission in Madrid since 2022, enjoying a status similar to that of an ambassador.
However, his rank was officially elevated following Spain’s recognition of an independent Palestinian state comprising the Gaza Strip and the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
The decision by the three European countries aimed to spur other nations to follow suit and accelerate efforts to secure a ceasefire in the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza. Israel strongly condemned the move, arguing that it bolsters Hamas.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, a vocal critic of Israel’s campaign in Gaza, announced plans earlier this month for a bilateral summit between Spain and Palestine to be held before the end of the year.
The diplomatic ceremony on Monday preceded the arrival of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Madrid on Tuesday for meetings with King Felipe and Prime Minister Sanchez.
Israel’s genocide has claimed the lives of at least 41,000 people in Gaza, as reported by the Gazan health ministry.
The ongoing bombardements have also decimated Gaza’s economy, reducing it to one-sixth of its pre-war size, while over 22,000 people have sustained life-altering injuries, according to the WHO.
In 2010, the Palestinian Authority delegation in Madrid was granted diplomatic mission status by the government led by then-Prime Minister José Luis RodrÃguez Zapatero.
Since the agreements of the Peace Conference held in Madrid in 1990, Spain has consistently supported the two-state solution for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
As one of the staunchest critics of Israel’s actions in Gaza among European leaders, Prime Minister Sanchez’s government has taken a firm stance in support of Palestinian statehood.
The formal recognition of Palestine and the reception of its first ambassador mark significant milestones in the diplomatic relations between Spain and Palestine.
