Greece’s Minister of National Defense, Nikos Dendias, announced that four navy ships have been placed on alert to provide humanitarian aid to Lebanon and Gaza if requested.
More specifically, Dendias stated: “I gave instructions to our Navy to have four ships ready to deliver aid to Gaza, from Cyprus and Greece. We needed Cyprus as a ‘stepping stone,’ but we had the ships that would assist.”
Greece’s initiative follows the failure of the U.S. military’s efforts to build an artificial metal dock in the eastern Mediterranean extending into a beach in northern Gaza due to severe weather conditions.
The effort that began last May and was anticipated to be a safe route for transferring food and water to the starving Palestinian population has been halted.
As a result of this setback, the Greek defense minister emphasized the country’s readiness to step in at any time stating: “We have offered to contribute to humanitarian aid efforts both in Gaza and Lebanon. This is our region. The Arab world, Israel, Egypt—this is our family. This is how we want to create a stable future with the goal of prosperity.” Greece’s Defense Minister Dendias concluded, “We have limited resources, but we are present.”
The provision of this humanitarian aid, including water, food, and medication, has become imperative following the cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas, with thousands of displaced Palestinians returning to a ravaged northern Gaza and what is left of their homes.
Meanwhile, on the orders of the Greek minister, the following reductions in officer ranks across the branches of the Greek Armed Forces have reportedly taken place following the Armed Forces assessments:
- The number of Brigadiers in the Army has decreased by 36.
- The number of Navy Captains has been reduced by 5.
- The number of Air Force Brigadiers has been lowered by 7.
- The number of Colonels has dropped significantly, with a reduction of 369.