Athens eyes key role in Mideast aid

The role that Greece can play as a key hub for the transport of humanitarian aid by sea to the Middle East has been at the center of the government’s recent contacts.

Revisiting the issue on Monday, government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said Greece “is always considering with our allies, including the US and international organizations, namely the UN, the sending of humanitarian aid by sea to civilians.”

Given the war operations in the area, Marinakis noted that it “is a very complex and difficult process” and that it is impossible to provide more details at this time.

The issue was first broached on the sidelines of last week’s EU leaders’ summit where French President Emmanuel Macron essentially spoke of a humanitarian corridor through Greece and Cyprus, from which goods and food would be transported to Egypt and from there to the Gaza Strip.

To this end, Athens is in contact with the US and European agencies such as the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. 

The issue was also discussed in principle during Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ talks with Benjamin Netanyahu during his visit to Israel. 

Given the task of ensuring maximum-security conditions for such an operation, Greece will also involve the Hellenic National Defense General Staff (GEETHA).

This could include the escort of a naval convoy to Egypt and Suez, and cooperation between civilians and military personnel. In any case, there is no question of Greek military officers participating in any operation or mission in the territory of another country.

Meanwhile, diplomatic sources explained Greece’s abstention in the vote to approve a draft Arab resolution at the UN General Assembly, arguing mainly that it did not include any reference to condemnation of Hamas’ terrorist activities.

Greece, they said, had been creative in proposing during the drafting procedures some interventions which could have been facilitated by the broader majority.

They added that Greece had also voted in favor of the amendment tabled by Canada to explicitly condemn Hamas.