Sánchez's backing of Trump's Gaza plan deepens rift with leftist coalition partners

Pedro Sánchez welcomed Donald Trump's twenty-point Gaza peace proposal on Tuesday, and in doing so, he opened a fissure in Spain's governing coalition that had been holding together on little more than shared opposition to Israel's conduct in the territory. The Socialist president's embrace of the American plan—which Netanyahu has already endorsed and which includes a transitional government overseen by Trump himself, with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair at the table—landed like a stone in the left wing of his own government.

The plan itself is intricate. It calls for the release of hostages, the removal of Hamas from political and military control, and the establishment of a technocratic interim authority. After those initial steps, a reformed Palestinian Authority would assume governance of Gaza while Hamas would be disarmed and barred from future government participation. The United States commits to mediating between Israel and Palestine toward what it frames as peaceful coexistence—language that includes the two-state solution, something Netanyahu has publicly opposed even while claiming to support the broader agreement.

Sánchez's statement was measured in its language. "Spain welcomes the peace proposal for Gaza driven by the United States," he wrote on social media. "The hour has come for violence to cease, for the immediate liberation of all hostages, and for humanitarian aid to reach the civilian population. The two-state solution—Israel and Palestine coexisting side by side in peace and security—is the only possible path." The Foreign Ministry, led by José Manuel Albares, issued a parallel statement using similar diplomatic framing: welcoming the proposal, calling for an end to violence, demanding a permanent ceasefire and the release of hostages, and reiterating support for the two-state framework.

But Sumar, the left-wing coalition partner that holds five ministerial posts, saw something entirely different. Yolanda Díaz, Ernest Urtasun, Pablo Bustinduy, Mónica García, and Sira Rego issued a joint statement calling the proposal not peace but imposition. They argued that ignoring the Palestinian population and its legitimate institutions, and attempting to resolve the conflict through a transition supervised by Washington without political guarantees for Palestinians, amounted to consolidating occupation and violence. Turning Palestine into a Washington-directed protectorate outside international law, they wrote, was not a solution but another chapter in the systematic denial of Palestinian sovereignty. A genuine peace process, they insisted, must rest on international law, justice, and full recognition of a Palestinian state.

The broader left-wing parliamentary bloc—including United Left, Catalunya en Comú, Más Madrid, Compromís, and CHA—joined the rejection, calling the proposal radically contrary to Palestinian self-determination. Antonio Maíllo, the leader of United Left, was blunt: "It's a colonial ultimatum, a charade to execute the final part of the plan: finish exterminating the Palestinian population and build a luxury resort in Gaza. The only legitimate solution is that the genocidal Netanyahu and his collaborators be tried in an international court." Alberto Ibáñez, a Compromís deputy in the Sumar parliamentary group, expressed regret that Sánchez, who had seemed committed to Palestinian dignity, was now applauding Trump and a proposal that included "the warlord Tony Blair."

The rift runs deeper than disagreement over a single proposal. Sumar sources told reporters that Sánchez's endorsement breaks the coalition's strategy of mounting pressure on Israel and squanders the opportunity presented by the significant social mobilization against Palestinian genocide both in Spain and globally. The Sumar ministers wrote that the agreement perpetuates imbalance, legitimizes Israeli impunity after two years of conflict that has killed tens of thousands, and does so precisely when global demands for just peace have intensified through United Nations initiatives, diplomatic efforts, and enormous grassroots mobilization against Israeli impunity.

Moncloa pushed back gently. Government spokeswoman Pilar Alegría said Spain would always explore any path to peace. Officials argued that the government's political position remains unchanged and that diplomatic language matters—the words "welcomes" and "salutes" do not amount to celebration of the plan itself. Diplomatic sources noted that Spain's position aligns with statements from major Arab countries and the Palestinian National Authority, both of which used similar welcoming language while emphasizing their commitment to peace efforts. Podemos, the other left-wing coalition partner, was harsher. Secretary General Ione Belarra called it terrible that Sánchez welcomed Trump's plan for Palestinian colonial domination, calling it a humiliation of a people with the right to freedom. Podemos sources warned that Trump and Netanyahu's roadmap consolidates Zionist colonization and apartheid, and demanded that Sánchez withdraw his words.

ERC, another coalition supporter, noted that the agreement had already begun to unravel as Israel withdrew from several agreed objectives, and called instead for immediate cessation of the genocide and a path to peace rooted in Palestinian self-determination. Carles Puigdemont of Junts, by contrast, found elements of hope in the proposal and argued that recognizing Trump's diplomatic effort need not be prevented by concerns about his broader political direction. He cautioned against excessive enthusiasm for Middle East plans but suggested that the desire for peace was too great to dismiss the proposal outright. The question now is whether Sánchez's endorsement signals a shift in coalition strategy or merely a diplomatic gesture—and whether his partners will accept either answer.