Foreign Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos made the following statement regarding the escalating tensions in Gaza and southern Israel: “I express profound concern at the escalating tension in Gaza and southern Israel, particularly at the present critical and volatile time in the region.
Equally profound is our grief at the loss of civilians – Palestinians and Israelis. The ongoing Hamas rocket attacks against southern Israel – as a consequence of which thousands of citizens are living in a state of fear and peril – are absolutely condemnable. At the same time, Israel needs to avoid escalation and, above all, the loss of civilians in Gaza, who are living in dire circumstances. At this difficult hour, responsibility, composure and self-restraint are vital to averting another flare-up of conflict in the Middle East, which might have dreadful consequences.”