The international community should look at sanctions against Israel to stop the war in Gaza, Spain's foreign minister said, as European and Arab nations gathered in Madrid Sunday to urge an end to its offensive.

Some of Israel's long-standing allies have added their voices to growing international pressure after it expanded military operations against Gaza.

An aid blockade lasting almost three months has worsened shortages of food, water, fuel and medicine in the Palestinian territory, stoking fears of famine.

Aid organizations say the trickle of supplies Israel has recently allowed to enter falls far short of needs.

The talks in Madrid aim to stop Israel's "inhumane" and "senseless" war in Gaza, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares told reporters before the meeting opened.

Humanitarian aid must enter Gaza "massively, without conditions and without limits, and not controlled by Israel", he added, describing the Strip as humanity's "open wound".

"Silence in these moments is complicity in this massacre... that is why we are meeting," said Albares.

Representatives from European countries including France, Britain, Germany and Italy are joining envoys from Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Morocco, the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

Norway, Iceland, Ireland and Slovenia, who like Spain, have already recognized a Palestinian state, are also taking part, alongside Brazil.

Time for action

Sunday's meeting also promoted a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa said he wanted to "move as fast as possible to a peace where Palestine and Israel can coexist and bring stability and security for the whole region". 

Albares told Cadena SER radio after the summit that the event made progress by including more EU powers like France, Germany and Italy in the format. They would "never give up on peace in the Middle East", he said.

The diplomatic drive comes one month before a UN conference on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict chaired by France and Saudi Arabia in New York.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has said his country will back draft resolutions at the United Nations aimed at ramping up aid access to Gaza and holding Israel to account over its international humanitarian obligations.