Israel should immediately end operations in Gaza, allow humanitarian aid: Greek premier
'Greece, strategic ally of Israel, is obliged to speak harsh truth,' says Kyriakos Mitsotakis
Kyriakos Mitsotakis
ATHENS
Israel should immediately end operations in Gaza and allow the entry of humanitarian aid into the besieged Palestinian enclave, remarked the Greek premier on Thursday.
Noting that the government was being criticized by a large segment of the public and the opposition parties for being silent in the face of ever-intensified Israeli attacks and blockade of Gaza, Kyriakos Mitsotakis said: “We are not silent at all, and I must tell you that, because Greece has a strategic alliance with Israel, we have an obligation to our allies to speak harsh truth.”
“What has been happening in recent weeks, in recent days in Gaza, is unjustifiable and unacceptable. And Israel must immediately stop these operations and facilitate the United Nations, as well as the other humanitarian organizations that are currently supporting the suffering population in Gaza, so that the supply of humanitarian aid, food, and medicine can be restored as soon as possible,” he said.
Also commenting on the recent reports in the Greek media, which claimed that the EU is considering including Türkiye in the ReArm Europe scheme despite the objections by Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration, Mitsotakis maintained: "There is a lack of accurate information about exactly what is being agreed upon these days in Brussels.”
Noting that to conclude any agreement with a third country, including candidate countries like Türkiye in this case, the consent of all EU member states is required, he argued that “justified concerns” of both Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration must be taken into account.
Underlining that the government is working to protect Greek interests in every field while also trying to improve bilateral relations with Türkiye, Mitsotakis said better relations are already proving beneficial for Greece in many domains, including but not limited to migration, tourism, and the economy.
Mitsotakis said he will meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the context of the bilateral cooperation council, but the exact date remains unknown yet.
