Greece has not signed a joint statement issued by 23 countries—including Australia, France, the UK, Germany, and Canada—demanding Israel allow the full resumption of humanitarian aid to Gaza amid growing famine conditions.
The statement, released Monday, May 19, criticises Israel’s two-month blockade of Gaza and warns that the population faces starvation, with food, medicine, and essential supplies exhausted.
While a limited number of aid trucks—nine in total—were recently authorised to enter the territory, the United Nations described the move as a “drop in the ocean.”
The statement also rejected Israel’s proposed new aid distribution model, which reportedly excludes the UN and international NGOs, citing concerns about their alleged links to Hamas.
Read the full joint statement: https://t.co/ztAi1mNl0s
— Senator Penny Wong (@SenatorWong) May 19, 2025
Donor nations said the proposed system “places beneficiaries and aid workers at risk” and “links humanitarian aid to political and military objectives.”
“We acknowledge indications of a limited restart of aid,” the foreign ministers wrote, “but humanitarian aid should never be politicised, and Palestinian territory must not be reduced nor subjected to any demographic change.”
They urged Israel to “enable the UN and humanitarian organisations to work independently and impartially to save lives.”
Despite mounting international pressure, Greece, under the conservative government of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, has not joined the call. Critics suggest Athens may be reluctant to support measures perceived as increasing aid flows into Gaza.
The signatories—who include EU member states and allies such as Japan and New Zealand—also reiterated their demand for Hamas to release all remaining hostages and allow unimpeded humanitarian access.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong was among those calling for full aid access, but Australia stopped short of joining France, Canada, and the UK in threatening “concrete actions,” including possible sanctions, if Israel does not reverse its blockade and halt its military escalation.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel will allow “just enough to prevent hunger,” acknowledging international concern over the humanitarian crisis.
“Even strong supporters of Israel… say, ‘We cannot handle images of starvation,’” he said in a video statement.
