Greek ambassador Aglaia Balta told the UN Security Council on Friday that the Gaza ceasefire must become the start of a process towards a just and lasting peace.
Balta, Greece’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, spoke during the Council’s open debate on the Middle East, including the Palestinian question. She called for the ceasefire to be consolidated, for civilians to be protected and for a two-state solution.
Greece holds the rotating presidency of the Security Council in October, so its positions carry added weight in the Council’s debates this month. SKAI posted the report on X.
Ελλάδα στο ΣΑ για Παλαιστινιακό: «Η κατάπαυση του πυρός πρέπει να είναι κάτι περισσότερο από μια παύση στη σύγκρουση»https://t.co/taHVynlnyj
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“The ceasefire must be more than a pause in the conflict,” Balta said. “It must be the beginning of a process that will lead to a just and lasting peace.”
Aglaia Balta on Gaza
Balta said the two-state solution “remains the only viable path to a just and lasting peace”. She also described the ceasefire and progress under Security Council Resolution 2803 as a critical opportunity to move beyond the war.
Referring to the victims of 7 October, she said the horror of the attacks and the hostage-taking must never be forgotten or justified. At the same time, she said “the immense suffering of Palestinian civilians cannot define the future of Gaza”, and called for aid at the scale and speed required.
For the next phase, Balta said Hamas and other armed groups must disarm. “Transitional arrangements must strengthen, not sideline, Palestinian institutions,” she said, adding that Greece is ready to help with recovery and reconstruction, including through the Gaza Team initiative.
West Bank and Lebanon
On the West Bank, she warned that settlement expansion, forced displacement, demolitions and settler violence erode the foundations of a viable Palestinian state. She also called for credible, inclusive elections as soon as possible.
Balta backed renewed direct talks between Lebanon and Israel and the full implementation of Resolution 1701. In addition, she said Greece intends to take an active part in the new EU support mission in Lebanon.
Earlier in the debate, acting UN special coordinator Ramiz Alakbarov said Israeli military operations had killed about 1,500 Palestinians, including more than 320 children, since the ceasefire began in October 2025. Greek City Times reported when Greece took over the Council presidency on 1 October, and earlier on the country’s role in the Gaza stabilisation force.
Source: SKAI
The post Greece Wants More Than a Pause in Gaza appeared first on Greek City Times.