Spain's government is moving to limit its own jurisdiction following pressure from foreign governments, including Israel. The Spanish Congress has passed a resolution that would prohibit Spanish judges from dealing with cases that do not involve Spanish citizens.
Currently, its judges may try investigate alleged serious crimes that took place in other countries and do not involve Spanish citizens if courts in the country in which the crime took place do not try the case. Residents of Gaza took advantage of the clause to file suit against Israel for the 2002 assassination of senior Hamas terrorist Salah Shehadeh, which killed several bystanders as well as Shehadeh and another terrorist.
A Spanish court agreed to investigate the Shehadeh assassination despite the fact that Israel's Supreme Court had already reviewed the strike.
The Gaza residents named several senior Israeli officials in the suit. The court's decision to conduct a probe of the assassination angered Israeli leaders, who harshly criticized Spain for failing to distinguish terrorism from measures necessary to fight terrorism.
Spanish courts are trying several other international cases as well, including one involving alleged torture at a United States-run prison in Guantanamo Bay, and Chinese actions against pro-Tibet protestors.
Spain's state prosecution has opposed the cases against Israel, the U.S. and China, but the cases have gone forward despite opposition.