Greece Air-Drops Food Aid Over Gaza: Prime Minister

On Saturday, Greece joined other European Union countries in delivering food aid to Gaza by air, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced.

Speaking on Facebook, Mitsotakis said, “This morning, two aircraft of the Hellenic Air Force dropped 8.5 tonnes of essential food supplies in areas of Gaza.”

He added, “The operation was organised in collaboration with countries from the European Union and the Middle East, aiming to support the basic needs of people in the afflicted region.”

Mitsotakis emphasised Greece’s ongoing commitment to humanitarian efforts, stating, “Greece will continue to undertake 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 put an end to human suffering immediately.”

Several Western countries including the United Kingdom, France, and Spain have recently partnered with Middle Eastern nations to airlift humanitarian supplies into the Palestinian enclave.

However, Philippe Lazzarini, head of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), has cautioned that airdrops alone will not be sufficient to prevent worsening hunger in Gaza.

The UN estimates that the Gaza Strip requires a minimum of 600 aid trucks per day to meet the basic needs of its residents.

The humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip has deteriorated sharply after more than 21 months of conflict, which began following a deadly attack by Hamas militants against Israel in October 2023.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces increasing international pressure to secure a ceasefire to avert famine for Gaza’s population and to facilitate the release of hostages held by Palestinian militants.

Nonetheless, in the early hours of Friday, Israel’s security cabinet approved plans to launch significant military operations aimed at seizing control of Gaza City, sparking widespread condemnation worldwide.