Spain on Monday recalled its ambassador from Tel Aviv after Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar slammed Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez over a series of measures targeting Israel, AFP reported. 

Stepping up his criticism of Israel, Sanchez announced the measures which are aimed at stopping what he called "the genocide in Gaza". 
Tel Aviv retaliated by banning two left-wing Spanish ministers from entering Israel. 

Spain's foreign ministry condemned Israel's response, saying Madrid "would not be intimidated in its defense of peace, international law and human rights".

Saar said on X that Sanchez's criticism of the war was an attempt "to divert attention from serious corruption scandals through a continuous anti-Israel and anti-Semitic campaign".

Saar also announced entry bans on Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Diaz and Youth Minister Sira Rego, both members of the far-left Sumar group that is the junior partner of Sanchez's coalition government.

Rego is of Palestinian descent on her father's side and spent part of her early childhood in the occupied West Bank.

Among the measures announced by Sanchez was an arms embargo on Israel.

Other steps included a pledge to increase aid for the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, known as UNRWA, and to impose an embargo on goods made in Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Additionally, anyone who directly participates in what Sánchez termed the “genocide” in Gaza would not be allowed to enter Spanish territory, the Spanish PM said. 

“We know that all these measures will not be enough to stop the invasion or the war crimes, but we hope that they will serve to add pressure on Prime Minister Netanyahu and his government to alleviate some of the suffering that the Palestinian population is enduring,” Sánchez said.