During the meeting they discussed the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and the need for a humanitarian pause in order to restore a continuous flow of aid to Gaza. They also discussed a proposal to open a humanitarian corridor by sea, while recognising the operational difficulties of such an endeavour. In addition, Mitsotakis and Macron conducted an overall review of Greek-French relations.

Marinakis: The prime minister reiterated Greece’s readiness to assist with humanitarian aid to Gaza

“The international humanitarian conference for the civilians of Gaza, organised at the initiative of French President Emmanuel Macron and attended by the prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, is underway in Paris,” government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis said during a press briefing on Thursday.

“The prime minister has emphasised Greece’s position many times, supporting Israel’s right to self-defence and condemning the terrorist Hamas,” he added, concerning the prime minister’s interview on the Politico podcast. “The prime minister pointed out that, as the days pass, we have expressed increased concern about the tragedy of innocent civilians and the horrifying images from Gaza and I believe that while we recognise Israel’s right to defend itself, how it does so matters.”

Marinakis also referred to Mitsotakis’ meeting with the Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority, Mohammad Ibrahim Shtayye, during which the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip was discussed. “The prime minister reiterated his growing concern over civilian casualties and underlined the need for humanitarian pauses to ensure a steady flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza.”

He also said that “the prime minister reiterated Greece’s readiness to assist with humanitarian aid and said that Greece is in contact with the Republic of Cyprus and the partners involved regarding the possibility of a humanitarian corridor by sea for the transfer of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip” .

He also repeated that the prime minister emphasised that Hamas is a terrorist organisation, that it does not represent the Palestinian people and that the only legal representative of the Palestinian people is the Palestinian Authority, stressing “Greece’s long-standing support for a two-state solution.”

The government spokesperson went on to outline measures to tackle soaring prices, noting that this is a phenomenon coming from abroad, and referred to the finance ministry’s draft law for servicers.

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