MADRID, May 6 (Reuters) - Spain has asked the European Commission to activate its blocking statute to prevent compliance with U.S. sanctions on the International Criminal Court over its investigation into Israel's actions in Gaza, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on X on Wednesday.

The EU's blocking statute is a legal mechanism designed to protect Europeans from the extraterritorial effects of sanctions imposed by third countries.

(Reporting by David Latona; Editing by Charlie Devereux)