ATHENS – Trying to walk a fine line, Greece — which had backed Israel’s right to defend itself after an October 2023 attack by Hamas terrorists — is now pressuring for an end to the invasion of the Gaza Strip after voting in favor of a United Nations resolution.

Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis told Reuters in an interview, “There is no effective pressure on Israel. We are friends of Israel, and we’re strategic partners of Israel, and we’re trying to be as open and sincere with them.”

Greece also denounced the Hamas attack that killed more than 1,200 Israelis but said Israel should now stop its retaliation with ground and air assaults, which have killed more than 41,000 Palestinian civilians and counting.

Gerapetritis spoke on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, where world leaders generally extoll their countries’ approaches to international issues.

He said worry is mounting after Israel launched attacks in Lebanon against Hezbollah terrorists, which have killed hundreds, with no sign that Israel will pull back military operations despite the rising death tolls.

Greece was elected as a member of the UN Security Council for 2025-2026 earlier this year and believes its historical ties with both the Arab world and Israel give it credibility to act as a peace broker.

“The truth is that at the moment there is a continuous, very strong reaction on the part of Israel,” he said after a meeting with European Union and Arab foreign ministers, recommending joint initiatives to prevent escalation.

Earlier, Greece — during ongoing business deals and an energy project with Israel — voted in favor of a non-binding UN resolution demanding that Israel end its “unlawful presence in the occupied Palestinian territory” within a year.

This was based on an opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague regarding Israel’s policies in Gaza and the West Bank, but Greece had to explain its vote to Israel in a delicate way.

The resolution demands that Israel withdraw all military forces, evacuate settlers from the occupied territory, and calls on nations to halt the transfer of weapons to Israel if there are reasonable grounds to believe they may be used there. It also calls for a halt on the import of “any products originating in the Israeli settlements.”

Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Oren Marmorstein said the resolution was “disconnected from reality, encourages terrorism and harms the chances for peace,” also accusing the Palestinian Authority of being interested only in “defaming” and harming Israel.

Citing “well-informed sources,” the paper said, “The Greek vote was dictated by two main considerations,” including Greece’s upcoming position on the Security Council starting Jan. 1, 2025.