Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis marked the somber one-year anniversary of the Oct. 7 attack of Hamas on Israeli concert-goers and residents in extreme southern Israel near the border with Gaza through two posts on X, one after the other.
The first post emphasizes that Greece has not forgotten the attack and the right, as he said, of Israelis to live with security, while he again calls for a release of all hostages.
Looking ahead, the region must have a chance for peace and security for all, starting with a ceasefire.
— Prime Minister GR (@PrimeministerGR) October 7, 2024
The Greek Prime Minister quickly added, through a second post, the need for a ceasefire.
Meanwhile, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, also prepared a statement for the day, which she shared on X as well.
Statement on the one-year anniversary of the 7 October 2023 acts of terror against Israel ↓
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) October 6, 2024
The statement by the Commission president recalls the horrors of the day, which is characterizes as unjustifiable and “unspeakable savagery”.
It also stresses the need for a ceasefire, the commitment of the EU to prepare for the “day after” and its continued support of a two-state solution.
The attack by Hamas terrorists against Israel is the deadliest day in its history. In the attack on October 7th, 2023, about 1,200 people were killed and 250 others abducted.
The Hamas attack led to a prolonged and coordinated military response by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) against the terrorists in the Gaza Strip which has resulted in the deaths of thousands of militants.
However, the IDF campaign also raised questions throughout the international community about the proportionality of the strikes, with many underlining the operation resulted in the indiscriminate killing of innocent civilians in the confined Hamas-controlled land.
Israel claims that while Hamas is using civilians as human shields, making its operation difficult, it has gone out of its way to avoid collateral damage via precision strikes.