Greece dropped on Saturday 8.5 tons of food items in areas of Gaza, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced in a Facebook post.
“This morning, two Greek Air Force aircraft dropped 8.5 tons of basic food items in areas of Gaza. The operation was organized in cooperation with countries of the European Union and the Middle East and aimed to support the basic needs of people in the long-suffering region,” Mitsotakis said.
He added: “Greece will continue to take initiatives for the immediate cessation of hostilities, the release of hostages and the unhindered flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza. It is the duty of all of us to stop the human suffering immediately.”
Mitsotakis has recently condemned the Israeli strikes on Gaza as “unjustifiable and unacceptable” and called on ally Israel to “stop the operations” so food and medical assistance can reach the enclave’s civilian population.
“I have no hesitation in saying that what has been happening in Gaza is unjustifiable and unacceptable. Israel must stop these operations. The supply of humanitarian aid and medicine must be restored,” the Greek PM urged recently.
Humanitarian crisis in Gaza
Gaza is facing a deepening humanitarian crisis as more than 100 aid and rights groups warn that food, water, and medical supplies have run out, triggering mass starvation across the Palestinian territory. The groups say that Israel’s ongoing blockade and tight restrictions are largely to blame, while Israel insists it is not responsible for the shortages.
In a joint statement signed by 111 organisations, aid workers described the worsening conditions on the ground, saying families are going hungry and even humanitarian staff now wait in food lines. They warned that essential supplies have been fully exhausted, and some aid workers are growing weaker by the day due to a lack of food.
Greece calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza
“We have taken a clear stance in favor of an immediate ceasefire…We are by no means silent,” Mitsotakis said in response to criticism from the political opposition that Greece’s center-right government has not taken a firmer position on the spiraling violence.
Opposition parties have accused the Mitsotakis government of siding with Israel and being indifferent to the plight of civilians in Gaza.
Greece did not sign a joint statement issued by EEAS, the diplomatic service in charge of executing all international relations of the European Union, which demanded that Israel allow the full resumption of humanitarian aid into Gaza amid growing famine conditions in the war-torn territory.
Related: Israel’s Cabinet Approves Netanyahu Plan to Occupy Gaza City
