Mitsotakis to Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority: Greece wants to help in these very difficult conditions

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met in the morning with the Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority Mohammad Ibrahim Shtayyeh, shortly before participating in the International Humanitarian Conference on Civilians in Gaza, which is being held in Paris.

At the beginning of their meeting, they had the following dialogue:

Kyriakos Mitsotakis: I am glad to see you.

Mohammad Ibrahim Shtayyeh: The pleasure is mine. I hope to see you under different circumstances.

KHyriakos Mitsotakis: Yes, I was about to say that it would be good to meet under different circumstances, but I think it was important for Greece to be here. We want to play a very important role in addressing the misery of the people in Gaza and we want to see how we can help in these very difficult conditions.

Mohammad Ibrahim Shtayyeh: We must break the embargo. The siege of Gaza is a slow death for everyone, especially the wounded. It’s not just food, but also medical supplies. Our main concern is really to be able to treat the wounded. That’s who you’re talking about, 26,000 people. I don’t know how many of them will survive. I think our priority, apart from food and all other humanitarian issues, is to deal with this danger. If we and you can find a way to actually provide that humanitarian aid through any avenue possible, I think that would be a good idea. Of course, for us, as you know, the most important thing is that whatever we do, we will not do it or it will not be used as a way for people to leave. This is something we want to avoid completely because we know what Israel’s intentions are. The intention of the Israelis is to expel as many Palestinians as possible.

What did Mitsotakis discuss with the Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority

During the meeting, 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.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis reiterated Greece’s readiness to assist with humanitarian aid, as well as that Greece is in contact with the Republic of Cyprus and the partners involved on the possibility of creating a humanitarian corridor by sea for the transfer of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.

The Prime Minister emphasized that Hamas is a terrorist organization and that it does not represent the Palestinian people. He reiterated that the only legal representative of the Palestinian people is the Palestinian Authority and emphasized Greece’s long-standing support for the two-state solution. Finally, he noted that only a political solution on this basis can guarantee peace between Israelis and Palestinians and stability in the region.