Hamas, on Friday, hailed Spain’s decision to deny docking permission at its port to two cargo vessels suspected of transporting weapons to Israel.

It urged the UN to issue a resolution that criminalises and prohibits exporting arms to Israel, and pressurises it to end the war in the enclave, where it has killed more than 43,000 people since the 7 October,  2023 Hamas attack.
According to Spanish newspaper, El Pais, the ships that left New York requested to dock in Spain’s Algeciras port. A Foreign Ministry spokesman told the daily on Thursday that the ships “will not stop in Spain”, without offering further explanations.
The ships allegedly belong to the Danish shipping company, Maersk, and were US-flagged.
Spanish lawmaker, Enrique Santiago, said the arrival of the ships would constitute a violation of the country’s penal code.
In May, Spain refused permission for an Israel-bound ship carrying arms to call at the south-eastern port of Cartagena.
Spain has heavily criticised Israel’s ongoing offensive in Gaza. Earlier this year, along with Norway and Ireland, it recognised the State of Palestine.