Greek PM insists on need for political solution for Gaza
On sidelines of Paris conference, Mitsotakis, Macron discuss humanitarian corridor proposal
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis highlighted the need for a political solution which presupposes the existence of a Palestinian state during his keynote address at the International Humanitarian Conference for the civilians in Gaza, organized by Emmanuel Macron in Paris.
Mitsotakis stressed that it is necessary “to start talking now about a possible political solution to this conflict, which will ultimately be the only possible way to ensure a lasting peace in the region.”
The creation of a Palestinian state, he stressed, is a precondition for lasting peace in the region and the two-state solution is the only possible path to reach this outcome.
Mitsotakis’ stance echoed that of French President Macron, with whom he met on the sidelines of the conference.
The two men discussed the need for humanitarian pauses and the restoration of a continuous flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza, as well as the proposal to open a humanitarian corridor by sea.
The Greek PM also referred to the issue when it was raised during the conference, emphasizing that “Greece, together with Cyprus, is a country in the immediate neighborhood and we are ready to contribute to any effort to address the suffering of people.” This, he said, could be done either with the newly established air corridor that could provide assistance very quickly, or with a sea corridor, which is a “well-thought-out” proposal by Cyprus.
“We need to identify a zone in the south of Gaza to create the port infrastructure,” Mitsotakis said. “If these conditions are fulfilled Greece would be ready to help with naval ships.”
According to a plan presented at the conference by Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides, aid will be carried by sea to Gaza from the island nation, the closest European Union member-state, roughly 370 kilometers away. Christodoulides stated that the operations hub would be in the southern Cypriot city of Larnaca, which has a port and airport as well as a coordination center with 33 countries.
Earlier, in an interview with Politico, Mitsotakis urged Israel to set limits and rules. Israel, he said, has the right to defend itself, but how it does that is really important.
He made the same statement during his meeting with Palestinian leader Mohammad Shtayyeh, expressing concern about civilian casualties and the need for humanitarian pauses to allow humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza. He also reiterated that Hamas is a terrorist organization that does not represent the Palestinian people, who have only the Palestinian Authority as their legitimate representative.
