"Spain probes steelmaker for breaching Israel sales ban", 24 October 2025

Spain's High Court is investigating privately-owned steelmaker Sidenor for allegedly selling steel to an Israeli firm for the purpose of making weapons, it said on Friday, in one of the first potential legal consequences of Spain's ban on such deals. Judge Francisco de Jorge is leading the investigation targeting Sidenor's CEO Jose Antonio Jainaga Gomez and two other executives for alleged smuggling and complicity in crimes against humanity or genocide, according to the statement.

They were summoned to testify on November 12. The court said Sidenor sold steel to Israel Military Industries, a subsidiary of Elbit Systems, in a deal allegedly conducted without government authorisation or proper registry. The executives "went ahead with the deal with full knowledge that (the firm) was a manufacturer of both heavy and light weapons, and that the material sold was to be used for the manufacture of weapons," the High Court said.

Sidenor said in a statement it had referred the matter to its lawyers and will provide the judge all available information. The steelmaker said it announced its decision to suspend all commercial relations with Israel on July 1 following the Spanish government's decision in April to halt contracts with the country.

Elbit Systems declined to comment.

The investigation stems from a complaint filed in July by the association of the Palestinian community of the region of Catalonia. Spain, which recognised a Palestinian state last year, has been a vocal critic of Israel's actions in Gaza, qualifying them as genocide on multiple occasions, an accusation the Israeli government rejects...