Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis stated today, Wednesday, that Europe should host injured children and those suffering from psychological trauma due to the war in the Gaza Strip as long as the conflict continues. According to Gerapetritis, he is seeking partners to temporarily relocate children to the European Union. He mentioned discussing the idea with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa this week.
The Greek foreign minister emphasized, "We need to confront this tragedy with great clarity, and Europe must be open to those injured from Gaza, as well as to children facing famine or other types of risk." He did not specify how many individuals Greece or the EU could host, but mentioned that discussions are ongoing with Palestinian authorities.
He stressed that the initiative is not related to regular migration, which has become a politically sensitive issue in Europe and is strongly opposed by the rising right-wing movements. Gerapetritis stated, "This is a clear appeal for humanitarian assistance. We are not talking here about economic migration or any other types of irregular migration."
These statements came days after the European Parliament elections, which saw a rise in far-right parties. Greece was elected to the United Nations Security Council for 2025 and 2026 this month, and Gerapetritis believes that Greece's historical relations with the Arab world give it credibility to play a mediating role for peace.
