We "believe Greece will help in every possible way" so that Israelis held by Hamas return to their homes, said former Israeli diplomat Ram Aviram, who, along with two families of abducted young Israelis, gave a press conference in Athens on Monday.
"We came to Greece because it is a very important country for us, for its relations with the Middle East," he noted, "and we believe that it will help in every way possible so that Israeli hostages held by Hamas since October 7 return home."
The two families visiting Athens are only 2 of the 242 families of Israeli hostages held by Hamas, who have decided to make the case of their detained relatives as broadly known as is possible.
At the press conference, they also presented images of their loved ones taken from still frames in video footage sent to them by Hamas, it was noted.
"We want to find a way to a peaceful life with the Palestinians," said 26-year-old Eli David, whose 30-year-old-brother Eviatar's whereabouts are unknown since October 7, the day Hamas attacked Israel.
He was replying to a question by AMNA as to what they would want the next day for Israelis and Palestinians to be.
"Our problem is with Hamas and what they did is unacceptable. It is unacceptable in both political and humanitarian terms," he pointed out.
Ram Aviram is the moderator of the NGO 'Missing Persons Family Forum".
The President of the Hellenic Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, received family members of Hamas hostages at the Presidential Mansion in Athens on Monday.
Welcoming Galia and Ilay David, the mother and brother of 22-year-old hostage Evyatar David, as well as Orit and Aviram Meir, mother and uncle of hostage Almog Meir, who is also being held hostage in the Gaza Strip, Sakellaropoulou expressed her undivided support, as well as that of the entire Greek people, to the families of the Israeli hostages. She also wished for the speedy return of their loved ones and for peace to prevail in the region.
As she said, the taking of hundreds of people hostage, including young children, women and the elderly, is a trauma for the collective conscience of humanity and constitutes one of the most serious war crimes, for which the perpetrators should face the consequences.
She also underlined that international pressure should be intensified on Hamas in order to allow the abductees to communicate and of course return safely to their families and homes, adding that Greece unreservedly supports every diplomatic effort in this direction.
The President of the Republic spoke with Almog Meir's mother, who referred to the hostage situation and her last communication with her son, expressing the dramatic ordeal of families and relatives of hostages, who have no information about the fate of their loved ones.
Parliament President Tassoulas meets with relatives of people abducted by Hamas
President of the Hellenic Partliament, Constantine Tassoulas, met in Athens on Monday with relatives of people who have been abducted by Hamas.
The relatives were accompanied by Ambassador of Israel to Greece, Noam Katz, and former Israeli Ambassador Ram Aviram.
Tassoulas was briefed by Katz on the reasons that led to the tragic events of October 7 and all the latest developments, noted the Parliament in an announcement.
After October 7, said the abductees' relatives, they have had no communication with their people or news pertaining to their condition, as Hamas is forbidding any international organization to contact the hostages, it was added.
Tassoulas condemned the ongoing detention of the hostages and expressed his hope for their release soon, as has happened so far with four women hostages. He also resassured the relatives that himself and all the parliamentarians will use their international contacts to help towards the speedy release of the hostages.
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