Greek PM Warns Israel at UN: Gaza War Risks Alienating Allies

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has cautioned at the United Nations General Assembly that Israel risks losing its remaining allies if its military campaign in Gaza continues. Speaking at the Assembly, Mitsotakis reaffirmed Greece’s condemnation of Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel and reiterated Greece’s support for Israel’s right to self-defense.
However, Mitsotakis stressed that “no military targets, no matter how valuable, can justify the death of thousands of children, the forced displacement of over a million Palestinians, and the humanitarian suffering in Gaza.” He urged Israel to reconsider its course, warning that prolonged conflict could erode international support and damage prospects for a two-state solution.
Turning to Ukraine, Mitsotakis praised the courage of its people in defending freedom and reaffirmed Greece’s continued support. On EU matters, he called for unified defense planning, citing historical lessons from crises that shaped Europe.
Regarding Greek-Turkish relations, the prime minister emphasised dialogue and urged Turkey to remove threats of war, noting the ongoing “dark cloud” of the casus belli. He also reiterated Greece’s support for UN efforts to restart Cyprus negotiations.
Mitsotakis additionally addressed the challenge of social media use among young people, proposing a pan-European minimum age for access to such platforms. “Digital tech is no different from any technology that needs to operate under health and safety principles,” he said, urging decisive action to protect youth.