Israel evacuates embassy staff in Greece amid anti-war protests: Media

JERUSALEM/ISTANBUL

Israel evacuated its embassy staff in the Greek capital Athens on Tuesday due to mounting anti-Israel protests in the country, local media reported.

The move was carried out following demonstrations opposing Israel’s war in Gaza, according to the Israel Hayom newspaper.

The report said that Greek leftist activists are planning a “March to Gaza” on Aug. 10 but did not provide further details.

“The Greek people will not remain silent in the face of the genocide carried out by Israel in Gaza with the support and complicity of the West and the Greek government,” the newspaper quoted a statement from the organizing movement as saying.

Neither Israeli nor Greek authorities have issued official statements regarding the status of the embassy staff.

Earlier Tuesday, the Greek Communist Party (KKE) condemned remarks by Israeli Ambassador Noam Katz, who had expressed concern over pro-Palestinian graffiti in Athens.

“The audacity of the Israeli Ambassador in Athens for his vile statements stems not only from the fact that he represents a murderous state, but also from the fact that the Greek government has evolved into a key advocate for Israel's crimes against the Palestinian people, under the pretext of a strategic alliance with it,” the party said in a statement.

Public outrage toward Israel continues to grow globally over its ongoing genocide in Gaza.

The Israeli army, rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, killing more than 61,000 Palestinians, almost half of them women and children.

Israel’s military campaign has devastated the enclave and brought it to the verge of famine.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.