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Madrid, on May 28, 2024. (Pierre-Philippe MARCOU / AFP)
MADRID, Spain — The first Palestinian ambassador to Spain presented his credentials on Monday to Spanish King Felipe VI after Madrid in May formally recognized a Palestinian state.
Husni Abdel Wahed welcomed to palace by King Felipe VI, four months after Madrid formally recognized a Palestinian state alongside Norway and Ireland.
The head of state welcomed Husni Abdel Wahed to the royal palace in Madrid for the traditional ceremony for newly appointed foreign ambassadors to Spain, according to images published by the royal palace on social media network X.
Wahed had been the head of the Palestinian diplomatic mission in Madrid since 2022 and he enjoyed a similar status to that of an ambassador, but he officially changed rank after Spain — along with Ireland and Norway — formally recognized a Palestinian state comprising the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
The three countries said at the time they hoped their decision would spur other European countries to follow suit and accelerate efforts towards securing a ceasefire in Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.
Israel condemned the decision, saying it bolstered Hamas and rewarded it for its October 7 massacre in southern Israel, which triggered the ongoing war in Gaza.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, one of the staunchest critics in Europe of Israel’s Gaza offensive, announced earlier this month that a bilateral summit between Spain and Palestine would be held before the end of the year.
TIMES OF ISREAL