Spain has denied entry to its territory to two ships transporting military equipment and explosives from India to Israel. This move is in line with the country’s commitment to promoting peace and avoiding any actions that could “contribute to war”.
The ship was carrying 27 tonnes of explosives from India to Haifa, Israel and needed a stopover to dock at the Cartagena port, as reported by El País.
This decision is part of Spain’s broader stance of not permitting ships carrying arms to Israel to call at its ports..
Speaking from Brussels on Thursday, José Manuel Albares, the foreign minister said “This is the first time we have done this because it is the first time we have detected a ship carrying a shipment of arms to Israel that wants to call at a Spanish port
“This will be a consistent policy with any ship carrying arms to Israel that wants to call at Spanish ports. The foreign ministry will systematically reject such stopovers for one obvious reason: the Middle East does not need more weapons, it needs more peace.”
The ship, Marianne Danica, is operated by H. Folmer & Co.