Gaza, Rafah crossing still closed. Madrid withdraws ambassador to Israel

The Spanish government has ordered the formal dismissal of the ambassador to Israel, Ana Salomon, in office since 2021 and already recalled for consultations in September 2025, following the diplomatic tensions with Benjamin Netanyahu's government that followed Madrid's recognition of the State of Palestine in April two years ago. The measure was published in the Official State Bulletin and was adopted at the proposal of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, by resolution of the Council of Ministers on Tuesday, 10 March. The decree, signed by King Felipe VI, thanks the diplomat for her 'services rendered'.

the El Pais website specifies that the decision, taken in the last council of ministers, entails the reduction of the Spanish representation to the level of chargé d'affaires, in reciprocity with what Israel has already done in its embassy in Madrid. Salomon had been recalled for consultations last September and has been in Spain ever since. The decision, which represents a new step in the diplomatic escalation between the two countries, means that Spain will have to appoint a new ambassador and seek the approval of the Israeli authorities if and when it wishes to fully re-establish diplomatic relations.

Hamas meanwhile expressed its ''congratulations to our brothers in the Islamic Republic of Iran on the election of Mojtaba Khamenei as leader of the Islamic Revolution''. In a note, Hamas spokesman in Gaza, Hazem Qassem, explained that the group '"wished him success in realising the hopes of the Iranian people to defeat Israeli-American aggression and prevent the arrogant forces from imposing their will on Iran".

Meanwhile, on the twelfth day of the conflict against Iran, Israel continues to keep the Rafah Crossing closed. A convoy of humanitarian aid bound for the increasingly exhausted population of the Gaza Strip was diverted to the Kerem Shalom crossing in preparation for its entry into Gaza. This was reported by an Egyptian security source, pointing out that the continued closure of the Rafah crossing is preventing the transit of wounded, injured and sick Palestinians expected in Egyptian hospitals to receive treatment, and hinders the return to Gaza of Palestinians stranded in Egypt.

"The humanitarian situation in Lebanon risks precipitating - and is already close to collapse - due to the bombings and the Israeli invasion, which is causing new and massive displacements with half a million people forced to abandon their homes and over 117,000 who have found shelter in shelters". This is the alarm launched today by Oxfam in the face of the context of growing instability and violence that is affecting Lebanon and the entire Middle East. Starting from Gaza, with the prices of fuel and basic necessities that have skyrocketed, worsening a catastrophic humanitarian situation, with the population already deprived of everything: in some areas of Gaza City people are currently surviving on barely 2 litres of water per day per person, while in local markets food and essential supplies are almost impossible to find. "The expansion of the Israeli occupation and the ongoing bombing of Lebanon are already having devastating consequences on the survival of the most vulnerable sections of a population that had not yet recovered from the last wave of violence," said Paolo Pezzati, humanitarian crisis spokesman for Oxfam Italia. "Once again, entire families are forced to abandon their homes under the bombardment. The risk right now is that the humanitarian consequences of the escalation will extend far beyond the Lebanese borders, due to the inertia of the international community,' Pezzati continued. "The first to suffer will be 60 million people who already depend on humanitarian aid to survive. This new escalation is already putting pressure on the response system, which could run aground due to rising fuel prices, difficulties in finding goods, and countless physical and bureaucratic impediments. We should put everything in place as soon as possible to avoid a real health and socio-economic collapse,' Oxfam warns.