Greek FM calls for unhindered aid for Gaza in call with Palestinian PM
Unhindered and large-scale assistance remains essential in order to address the humanitarian crisis and alleviate the suffering of civilians in Gaza, Foreign George Gerapetritis has told Palestinian Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Mustafa.
In a telephone call ahead of tomorrow’s United Nations Security Council debate on the protection of civilians in armed conflict which he will chair, Gerapetritis said the resumption of humanitarian aid to Gaza “has been a much needed first step,” according to Foreign Ministry post on X.
The post added that “Greece calls for an immediate ceasefire.”
Meanwhile, diplomatic sources said that Athens is intensifying its diplomatic and humanitarian engagement in response to the deepening crisis in Gaza. From the outset of the conflict, Greece has supported the uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian enclave and has maintained ongoing communication with the Palestinian Authority, which it continues to recognize as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.
Despite mounting international criticism of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and the suspension of funding by several European nations, Greece has maintained its support for the agency, the sources said.
However, opposition parties in Greece have strongly condemned the government’s stance on the Gaza crisis, following its vote against a proposal at the EU Foreign Affairs Council to review the EU-Israel Association Agreement. The proposal, which aimed to reassess political and economic relations with Israel amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza, was supported by 17 of 27 EU member states, diplomats said.
PASOK leader Nikos Androulakis criticized Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis for remaining silent on Gaza during his address on Tuesday at the UN Security Council, calling the government’s approach an insult to the Greek people.
SYRIZA leader Sokratis Famellos echoed this criticism, accusing the government of complicity through its inaction. He highlighted that the majority of EU nations have taken a strong stance against what he described as Israeli crimes in Gaza, while Greece remains an outlier.
“At a time when 24 European countries are adopting a clear and emphatic position against the crimes that Israel is committing in Gaza, Greece remains silent,” Famellos said, adding that this “gives legitimacy to the murders of civilians, the deaths of defenseless small children and the extermination of an entire people.”
Source: ekathimerini.com
