MADRID, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said Friday he would support the exclusion of Israeli sports teams from international competitions, including the ongoing Vuelta a Espana (Tour of Spain) cycling race, over the Gaza crisis.

Speaking to Spanish public radio RNE, Albares said he "understood and would be in favor" of excluding the Israel Premier Tech cycling team from the Vuelta and Israeli teams from international competitions in general.

The presence of the Israel Premier Tech team in the three-week Vuelta has triggered mounting protests over Israel's ongoing military campaign in Gaza, which has claimed more than 63,000 Palestinian lives.

Protesters have lined roadsides in the Vuelta, waving Palestinian flags and shouting insults at Israel Premier Tech riders. On Wednesday, organizers were forced to cut short the stage in Bilbao after unrest during the first passage through the city raised safety concerns for the cyclists.

"We cannot have a normal relationship with Israel as if nothing was happening." He insisted, however, that the final decision rests with the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), cycling's world governing body.

"I know Spanish society is supportive and stands on the side of unprotected civilians, of Gazan children, of babies who are currently dying from bombs," Albares added.

Spain has long been a prominent supporter of Palestine. In May 2024, the Spanish government formally recognized the State of Palestine. ■