Spain voiced strong objections on Saturday to what it described as the “illegal detention" of a Spanish citizen who was arrested by Israeli forces during the interception of the Global Sumud flotilla, which was heading to Gaza in order to attempt to breach the Israeli naval blockade of the Strip.
Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares called for the prompt release of Saif Abu Keshek so he could return home to Spain.
"We are facing an illegal detention in international waters, outside any jurisdiction of the Israeli authorities," Albares said, as quoted by the AFP news agency.
He told Rac1 radio that Abu Keshek "must be released immediately so that he can return to Spain".
The Israeli Navy intercepted the flotilla on Wednesday night. The convoy, which departed from several countries including Turkey, Spain, and Italy, included more than 100 vessels and around 1,000 participants attempting to breach Israel's blockade of Gaza, claiming they wanted to deliver humanitarian supplies.
Upon intercepting the flotilla, the Navy discovered - as in the cases of previous flotillas - that it was not carrying “humanitarian aid" for Gaza as its organizers had claimed.
The boarding of the flotilla took place in international waters off the coast of Greece. Organizers claimed that armed Israeli personnel damaged equipment aboard the ships, leaving the vessels unable to operate and without communication.
Israel reported removing approximately 175 activists from the flotilla. Organizers, however, claimed that Israeli forces had "kidnapped" 211 individuals.
Israeli authorities later released nearly all the activists, who were escorted by the Greek coast guard to the island of Crete on Friday. Nevertheless, Israel continued to hold Abu Keshek and Brazilian activist Thiago Avila.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry noted that both Spanish men remained in Israel for questioning by law enforcement authorities as both are connected to the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad (PCPA), an organization under US sanctions for alleged ties to Hamas.
“Saif Abu Keshek, a leading member of the PCPA - an organization designated and sanctioned by the United States as a Hamas front - and Thiago Ávila, who operates with the PCPA and is suspected of illegal activity, have arrived in Israel. They will be transferred for questioning by law enforcement authorities. Both will receive a consular visit from the representatives of their respective countries in Israel," said the Foreign Ministry.
In an earlier statement, the Foreign Ministry pointed that Abu Keshek serves as a liaison between senior Hamas officials and international actors, and he assists the terrorist organization in facilitating financial transfers.
The ministry further noted that “he was arrested in Egypt and deported in June 2025. He also faced prior detention for questioning in Tunisia in connection with money laundering and financial irregularities."
Albares, however, claimed that Spanish officials had requested details and found no evidence linking Abu Keshek to Hamas.
Albares described Israel's conduct as unacceptable, stating, "A state does not conduct itself in this manner: raids in international waters, the forced transfer of citizens who are not its nationals to that other country."
While the minister said Spain supports the existence of the state of Israel, he added, "But what Israel must understand is that what we believe for Israel we also believe for Israel's relations with other states: they cannot be based on force."
Albares’s criticism of Israel comes amid longstanding tensions between Israel and Spain, which began with the Gaza war and have continued since.
In November of 2023, Spain’s Ambassador to Israel was summoned by the Foreign Ministry after Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez claimed that "Israel is violating international law and is carrying out indiscriminate killings in Gaza."
In April of 2024, Sanchez criticized what he called Israel's "disproportionate response" in the Gaza war, saying it risks "destabilizing the Middle East, and as a consequence, the entire world".
A month later, Albares advocated for international sanctions against Israel, citing the ongoing conflict with Hamas in Gaza.
More recently, the Director General of the Foreign Ministry, Eden Bar Tal, held a reprimand call with the head of the Spanish Embassy in Israel, Francisca Pedrós.
The conversation took place in response to a shocking antisemitic display in which an effigy of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was detonated in El Burgo, a small town near the southern city of Malaga.
Netanyahu also recently accused Spain of exhibiting hostility towards Israel and announced the removal of Madrid from the international mechanism overseeing the Gaza ceasefire.