Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis told Arab News in an interview on Thursday that the international community must strengthen its humanitarian response in Gaza while also "accelerating the debate" about the shape of postwar governance of the Palestinian territory.
Asked what Greece is doing to put pressure on Israel to accept a ceasefire in Gaza and to allow more aid into the embattled territory, Gerapetritis said his government’s target was twofold.
"First is to further strengthen humanitarian aid, which means first to create sustainable humanitarian corridors, then to enable further checkpoints through which the humanitarian aid could cross," he said.
"Secondly, we are trying to put pressure not only on Israel but also on the international community, because we need to accelerate this debate concerning the postwar situation," the minister added.
"It is important to provide further legitimacy to the Palestinian Authority because in the postwar era, we need to have some credible interlocutor on the part of the Palestinians," said Gerapetritis. "It goes without saying that we need to have a strong administration in Gaza originated by the Palestinian people themselves, but obviously disassociated from any form of terrorism."
The Greek Foreign Minister noted: "The truth is now that there is an increasing concern about the spillover of the situation, both in the Red Sea and in northern Israel and Lebanon. We work hard in order to try and contain the hostilities."
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