Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Thursday condemned the latest strikes on Gaza as “unjustifiable and unacceptable,” and called on ally Israel to “stop the operations” so food and medical assistance can reach the enclave’s civilian population.
“I have no hesitation in saying that what has been happening in Gaza in recent days is unjustifiable and unacceptable. Israel must stop these operations. The supply of humanitarian aid and medicine must be restored,” Mitsotakis told Skai radio, a day after thousands of demonstrators gathered in front of Greece’s Parliament on Syntagma Square to call for an end to the bloodshed.
Dozens of people, including children, were killed in a new offensive by Israel on Wednesday, according to reports citing officials in Gaza.
Under international pressure, Israel has allowed dozens of aid trucks into besieged Gaza after blocking all food, medicine, fuel and other material for nearly three months. But the supplies have been sitting on the Gaza side of the Kerem Shalom crossing with Israel, the Associated Press reported on Wednesday.
The mounting humanitarian crisis in the enclave has turned up the pressure on Israel, including by the United Kingdom, which suspended free trade talks with Israel on Tuesday over its intensifying assault, a day after the UK, Canada and France promised concrete steps to prompt Israel to halt the war, according to the Associated Press.
“We have taken a clear stance in favor of an immediate ceasefire… We are by no means silent,” Mitsotakis said in response to criticism from the political opposition that Greece’s center-right government has not taken a firmer position on the spiraling violence.
Opposition parties have accused the Mitsotakis government of siding with Israel and being indifferent to the plight of civilians in Gaza.
Greece did not sign a joint statement issued by EEAS, the diplomatic service in charge of executing all international relations of the European Union, which demanded that Israel allow the full resumption of humanitarian aid into Gaza amid growing famine conditions in the war-torn territory.
According to the Greek government, “the statement is an isolated initiative by member states and not by the European Council.”
“We have a duty to speak hard truths to our allies. I have conveyed this truth directly to the leadership of Israel. If we are to play the role of a bridge-builder, we will do so through meaningful and persistent diplomacy,” he added.
On Wednesday, Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis spoke by phone on Wednesday with Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of the Palestinian Authority Mohammad Mustafa.
According to a post by the Foreign Ministry on X, Gerapetritis underlined that “FM stressed that, while the resumption of humanitarian aid to Gaza has been a much-needed first step, unhindered and large-scale assistance remains essential in order to address the humanitarian crisis & alleviate the suffering of civilians. Greece calls for an immediate ceasefire.”
