Spanish port closed to ship carrying weapons to Israel

The minority left-wing coalition government in Spain has decided to prevent a ship reported to be carrying weapons to Israel from stopping at Spanish ports for refueling.

Following reports that the Danish-flagged commercial cargo ship "Marianne Danica" was transporting weapons and explosive materials to Israel, the government took into account complaints filed by the Sumar alliance and the Podemos party and denied the ship's request to dock at a Spanish port for refueling on May 21.

"WE ARE DOING THIS FOR THE FIRST TIME"

Speaking to journalists in Brussels regarding the matter, Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said, "We are doing this for the first time because this is the first time we have identified a ship carrying weapons to Israel that wants to call at a Spanish port. Our policy is not to grant new export licenses for military equipment destined for Israel. Therefore, not allowing the ship to stop for refueling is consistent with and in line with this policy."

Meanwhile, following reports that another ship named "Borkum", which arrived off the coast of the Cartagena port in southern Spain, was also carrying weapons destined for Israel, demonstrations were held at the port by several non-governmental organizations.

The non-governmental organization Solidarity Network Against the Occupation of Palestine (RESCOP) claimed that the ship "Borkum" was carrying 12 tons of rockets, 1.5 tons of explosives, and 740 kilograms of other military materials.

While the ship was kept waiting offshore without docking at the port, the Sumar alliance, a junior partner in the coalition government, and the opposition Podemos party applied to the prosecutor's office to investigate the ship's cargo.

However, statements made by government sources to the Spanish press indicated that the ship's final destination was not Israel, but the Czech Republic.