Greek Foreign Minister: Israel is not facing effective pressure to end the war

(Patria) - Israel is not facing sufficient pressure to end the war in Gaza, and the escalation in Lebanon is a minefield that the international community may not be able to handle, said the Greek Foreign Minister, Reuters reported.

Greece was elected this year as a member of the United Nations Security Council for the period 2025-2026, and Athens believes that its historical ties with the Arab world and Israel give it the credibility to act as a mediator for peace.

"It seems there is no effective pressure on Israel. We are friends of Israel, and we are strategic partners of Israel, and we try to be as open and honest as possible with them," George said on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.

Greece condemned Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel, but called for an end to Israel's ground and air offensive on Gaza, which has killed more than 41,000 people and leveled entire cities.

"The truth is that at this moment there is a continuous, very strong reaction from Israel," he said after a meeting with the foreign ministers of the European Union and Arab countries.

Gerapetrit said that it is crucial for Arabs and Europeans to undertake joint, not separate initiatives that could put pressure on Israel, but that the escalation on the border between Israel and Lebanon in recent days has shown a collective international failure.

"We have not prevented spillover, and the more dispersed the war, the more complicated the situation becomes to resolve," he said.

"Lebanon could become a zone of huge hostility, and that is something we cannot deal with. It is a pure minefield."

Since June, Greece has been trying to persuade member states in Europe to join a project to temporarily bring children injured and traumatized by the war in Gaza to the European Union. He said that these discussions, with logistical coordination with the Palestinians and Israelis, are ongoing and he hopes they will soon bear fruit. He said that Greece could accommodate about 500 children.