Israel has announced they are committed to helping Greece and have offered medical assistance to the wounded in the devastating fires, that have to date claimed the lives of 81 people.
Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Twitter stated, "In light of the severe #Greecefires, Israeli authorities (the National Security Council in the Prime Minister’s Office and the Israeli Embassy in Athens) contacted their counterparts in #Greece and offered Israel’s aid.” They later tweeted, "Greek authorities responded that at this stage they have gained control of the fires. Israel has emergency teams waiting on stand-by. Israel stands ready to aid Greece in any way necessary. The Greek authorities have expressed their thanks to Israel for its offer of aid."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, also spoke with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and expressed his sorrow over the disaster that has hit Greece. On Twitter, Mr. Netanyahu said "Israel mourns with the people of Greece over the loss of life. I express my deepest condolences to the families who lost their loved ones."
When Israel experienced nationwide wildfires in November 2016, Greece was one of the countries that sent firefighters to Israel.
In recent years, Israel has also developed a closer diplomatic tie to Greece, driven by discoveries of natural gas in Israeli territorial waters in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. Israel, Greece, and Cyprus have been cooperating on efforts to export the gas to Europe.
