Concern mounts as ground invasion looms
Greek PM reiterates Israel’s right to self-defense, insists on need to avoid humanitarian crisis
As Israel’s ultimatum to evacuate 1.1 million civilians from the northern Gaza Strip in anticipation of a ground invasion expires on Saturday morning, international concern also mounts over its humanitarian repercussions.
During Friday’s extraordinary teleconference of the leaders of the European People’s Party (EPP) on the subject of the Hamas attacks in Israel and the situation in the Gaza Strip, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis reiterated his support for Israel and the right to self-defense.
He also stressed that the rules of engagement of an organized state should not be equated with those of a terrorist organization, and insisted on the need to avoid a humanitarian crisis. According to reports from the Prime Minister’s Office, Mitsotakis noted that Europe must speak with a unified voice on the critical issue of regional and European security.
Athens, as all other European capitals, fully supports Israel’s right to self-defense and unequivocally condemns the atrocities committed by Hamas, but the plight of the civilian population in Gaza is growing by the day.
Greece, whose blatant support for Israel also reflects the close relationship that now exists between the two countries, remains in constant and direct contact with other European capitals in an effort to harmonize their stance, with Paris being a key partner in this endeavor.
French President Emmanuel Macron’s statement that Israel has the right to defend itself by eliminating terrorist groups, including Hamas, through targeted actions, but also by protecting the civilian population in line with democratic values, expresses, to a considerable extent, the way in which Athens views the issue too.
The stance of the Europeans further reflects very serious internal concerns of each country.
Nations of the south, such as Greece and Italy, are on the alert for the possibility of an increase in migratory flows, while in the north, with large communities of Muslim citizens, there are mounting concerns over the possibility of prolonging operations in Gaza, as this could lead to social unrest.
Athens also has its sights set on Egypt, the Arab nation that will have the greatest challenges due to the fact that it shares border with Gaza and that it is the sole route in and out of the Palestinian Territories and might potentially experience an enormous influx of refugees.
