Spanish PM proposes Union for Mediterranean summit in Barcelona as 'opportunity' for Israel and Palestine to meet

The Spanish acting prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, has proposed Israel and Palestine to meet in the next summit organized by the Union for the Mediterranean in Barcelona, scheduled to take pace November 27. Sánchez spoke after a meeting between EU heads of states on Tuesday evening and suggested that the Council of the European Union take advantage of the "good opportunity" to work on finding solutions to the conflict.

The meeting would provide a space where "Israel and Palestine share the same status," giving opportunity "to take advantage of the situation and recover dialogue between Europe and the Arab countries," Sánchez said. 

The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) is an organization headquartered in Barcelona that seeks to foster cooperation between the EU and other Mediterranean countries.

The acting PM considers the European Union's position "fundamental" and for the bloc to continue to be "a united and coordinated" action as it is a "very important" matter for Europe's security. During his speech, Sánchez also called for Hamas to "immediately release" all hostages, including a Basque individual, Iván Illaramendi. 

Israel has the right to defend itself, as long as it's "strictly" following international humanitarian law, Sánchez added.  

Catalan government backs idea 

The Catalan government welcomed Sánchez's proposal, as it could be a way to find solutions to the conflict, Foreign Minister Meritxell Serret said in an interview with Spanish radio station SER on Wednesday. 

During the interview, Serret highlighted the possibility of Catalonia and Barcelona contributing to the coexistence in the Mediterranean and favoring peace. 

She said that the relations between the UfM and the Catalan government are "good," even though in summer, the chairman of the ONG complained that the Catalan government was seeking to charge the organization for the use of the Pedralbes Palace meeting rooms.