“Respect for humanitarian law” – The Greek PM’s 3 hours at the Elysee, the personal talks with the Palestinian prime minister

The talk with his Palestinian counterpart Mohamed Stageh opens this morning the Greek prime minister’s contacts in the French capital, where Emmanuel Macron is convening a conference on Gaza.

Two weeks after the phone call to the president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, Kyriakos Mitsotakis meets his Palestinian counterpart with the assumption that he will convey Greece’s clear “message” of separating the terrorist organization Hamas from the Palestinian people. It is also a given that he will articulate the permanent Greek position in favor of a two-state solution, in accordance with UN resolutions.

Mitsotakis will be in the Elysee for a total of three hours, where Macron has invited for the Middle East among other states of the region, EU member states, representatives of the United Nations and the European institutions – with the sure participation of the head of the Commission Ursula von der Leyen and the president of the European Council, Charles Michel.

Worry about casualties

The Prime Minister travels to Paris with Athens showing signs of toughening its rhetoric as concern over civilian casualties mounts and, therefore, the need for immediately implementable and concrete measures to prevent the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip from deteriorating further. .

Kyriakos Mitsotakis is expected to articulate the firm Greek position in favor of a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine, in accordance with UN resolutions.

In their international contacts, the prime minister and the foreign minister, who is also moving to France, keep the humanitarian aspect at the forefront.

Specifically, the urgent need for “respect for international humanitarian law” from all sides is expected, according to information, to be Mitsotakis’ main point in his intervention in the work of the Macron conference. In the same context, Gerapetritis’ disgust has preceded that what is happening in Gaza has now exceeded “the necessary measure”.

4 point intervention

Government sources point out that Mitsotakis intends, first, to repeat the Greek positions on the condemnation of Hamas terrorism and on Israel’s right to self-defense “always and only” in accordance with International Law and in particular based on the rules of armed conflict.

Second, he will insist on the need for “humanitarian pauses” as this way a continuous flow of aid can be ensured.

Thirdly, he will commit to Greece’s readiness to contribute to any de-escalation effort as well as to relieve the civilian population.

Fourthly, he will announce that Greece is in consultation with everyone involved (primarily with Cyprus and France) on the possibility of opening a humanitarian corridor by sea to the Gaza Strip, even if the project is described as operationally complex.

“If we were to talk about a sea corridor it would be necessary to have full protection for all involved to ensure that the ships reach Gaza safely,” Mitsotakis said on Politico’s “Power Play” podcast — an interview which is made public in its entirety today.