Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Greece would consider participating in a maritime humanitarian aid corridor to Gaza if ships could operate with “full protection”.
Speaking on POLITICO’s Power Play podcast, Mitsotakis said he would discuss all available options for sending humanitarian aid to Gaza with French President Emmanuel Macron and Arab leaders at a summit in Paris on Thursday.
The Greek prime minister told Anne McElvoy that his country would be able to participate in a sea corridor to help aid shipments to Gaza.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said last week on Power Play that the UK was looking at “all different ways” to get aid to Gaza, after reports that Britain, France and the Netherlands were considering plans for a sea corridor.
Mr. Mitsotakis said: “Because of our geographic location, if we can deliver humanitarian aid in an organized way and ensure that that aid reaches those who really need it, we will gladly do so.”
“A plane from Greece arrived in Egypt yesterday delivering humanitarian aid. If we can explore the possibility of a sea corridor it would need full protection on all sides to ensure that ships could have safe access to Gaza.”
Mr Mitsotakis added: “The advantage of such a corridor is that you can send much more humanitarian aid in a ship than in a truck. So instead of airlifting aid and then putting it on trucks, if that (a sea corridor) is something that is feasible and can be done with maximum safety, I would be very happy to be part of such an initiative.”
The cargo of Greek humanitarian aid for the civilians of Gaza arrived in Egypt
“Yes” from Von der Leyen to sea corridor for the transfer of humanitarian aid to Gaza from Cyprus
“Yes” from Von der Leyen to sea corridor for the transfer of humanitarian aid to Gaza from Cyprus
The maritime humanitarian corridor through Cyprus, which could contribute to the provision of aid to Gaza, was mentioned by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in her speech to EU ambassadors in Brussels.
“Aid is now coming in through the Rafah border crossing. But the volumes remain too small to meet the enormous humanitarian needs in Gaza. Our priority is to work with partners to strengthen Rafa’s logistical capabilities,” said Ursula von der Leyen and noted that “we are working on additional routes. A maritime corridor from Cyprus, which will guarantee a continuous, regulated and strong aid flow. I warmly welcome the excellent cooperation with the president Nikos Christodoulidis and his government”.
Ursula von der Leyen pointed out that the EU “is the largest donor of humanitarian aid in Gaza and we will continue to push for our aid to reach civilians in need”.
“This could mean the difference between life and death for thousands of Palestinians. We will continue our efforts to help the removal of EU citizens and injured Palestinians,” concluded the president of the European Commission.
Telephone communication Mitsotakis-Blinken
Yesterday Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis had a telephone conversation with the American Foreign Minister Anthony Blinken.
During the communication, the latest developments in the Middle East and the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip were discussed.
The prime minister reiterated Greece’s position on the condemnation of Hamas terrorism and Israel’s right to self-defense.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed his growing concern for the protection of civilians in the Gaza Strip and stressed the need for humanitarian pauses and a continuous flow of necessary humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.
Tags: Mitsotakis Politico Greece participate maritime humanitarian corridor Gaza
