Greece supports Israel’s right to act against Hamas in Gaza, but it must guard against harming Palestinian civilians the country’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotaki said during a solidarity visit to Israel as European Union foreign ministers met in Luxembroug.
“We will continue to be able to support you and to hope that whatever happens, happens without too much of a humanitarian cost.
“But you can count on our support and our help,” said Mitsotaki, who came to Israel on the 17th day of the Gaza War as Israel continued to reel from the impact of Hamas's October 7th attack on its southern border.
Hamas killed over 1,400 civilians and soldiers in that attack and took some 212 hostages.
“I come here not just as an ally, but as a true friend. What happened was truly horrible and we from the very first moment defended and supported the right of Israel to defend itself in line with international law,” Mitsotaki said.
He clarified that Greece drew a “very clear distinction between Hamas and the Palestinian people.”
A battle of civilizations
Netanyahu told him, “I always say that the best thing about standing with Israel is standing in Israel in Israel. And you're doing that. I appreciate the solidarity of you, your government, the people of Greece, at this darkest hour.
“It's a battle against civilization. It's civilization against barbarism. We're on the side of civilization. We have to unite, all together, against Hamas, which is ISIS,” he added.
Mitsotaki is the latest in a string of Western and European leaders to visit Israel, with Dutch Prime Minster Mark Rutte set to arrive Monday and French President Emmanuel Macron due on Tuesday.
Concern has been high regarding the over 4,500 Palestinians killed from IDF aerial strikes and failed Palestinian rocket launches since the October 7 attack as well as the humanitarian cost of Israel's decision to halt all shipments of food, fuel and electricity into the Strip. Two small convoys of humanitarian aid have reached Gaza through Egypt's Rafah crossing over the last two days.