Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has accused the EU of double standards, noting that the bloc imposed sweeping sanctions on Russia over the Ukraine conflict but has failed to take similar action against Israel for its war in Gaza.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Sanchez said he will propose suspending the EU’s trade agreement with Israel, in which Article 2 designates human rights as an “essential element” of the pact.

He noted that UN reports are sounding the alarm over the “catastrophic situation” in Gaza, where more than 56,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023.

“It makes absolutely no sense that we’ve imposed 18 rounds of sanctions on Russia for its aggression against Ukraine, while the EU, in a double standard, has been unable to suspend the association agreement with Israel, even as it flagrantly violates Article 2 on human rights,” Sanchez said.

The Israeli Embassy in Madrid condemned Sanchez’s remarks as “morally indefensible” and accused him of “launching an anti-Israel crusade.”