STORY: Spanish PM calls for peace in Gaza 
SHOOTING TIME: Dec. 19, 2023
DATELINE: Dec. 21, 2023
LENGTH: 0:01:45
LOCATION: Madrid
CATEGORY: POLITICS

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the plenary session of the Spanish Congress of Deputies in Madrid
2. SOUNDBITE (Spanish): PEDRO SANCHEZ, Spanish Prime Minister
3. various of Pedro Sanchez's speech 

STORYLINE:

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Tuesday called for peace in Gaza as the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has killed over 20,000 Palestinian lives in the past two and a half months.

Sanchez made his call for an end to the fighting as he looked back on the six months of Spain's rotating presidency of the European Commission.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish): PEDRO SANCHEZ, Spanish Prime Minister
"The world is watching us, not because history will judge us, but because people are suffering there, boys and girls are suffering and dying, and we cannot just stand by and watch. We should support the fight against terrorism in the Middle East, and we defend the right of every nation to exist and defend itself, But with the same conviction and values, we also have to demand the end to the deaths of civilians in Gaza. At some point during the legislature, we will have to address the recognition of the Palestinian state by the government of Spain."

The Spanish leader also said Israel must stop the killing in Gaza and allow aid to reach the displaced Gazans.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Madrid.
(XHTV)