Greece on alert for ‘hidden’ terrorists as Middle East crisis escalates

Greece’s Government Council for Foreign Affairs and Defence (KYSEA) will hold an extraordinary meeting on Thursday to discuss the latest developments in the Israel-Hamas ongoing war as Athens fears new migration waves and potentially “hidden” terrorists, Greek media reports.

Presided by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, KYSEA is a supreme decision-making body on foreign policy and national defence issues.

Local media report that the meeting will discuss the possible risks of Greece’s open support to Israel, the risk of new immigration flows, and measures to protect the country’s borders.

Athens openly backed Israel after Hamas’ deadly attack.

“Borders cannot be violated, terrorist activity cannot go unanswered because in such cases, equal distances objectively favour aggression and authoritarianism,” Mitsotakis said earlier this week.

News website iEidiseis quoted government sources saying that Greece and Cyprus will be pressured by new waves of refugees directly from Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon.

The same sources explained that the EU should urgently re-visit the 2016 EU-Turkey joint statement and develop a common understanding of migration flows from Turkey to Europe.

Egypt moves to prevent exodus of Palestinians from besieged Gaza

Egypt is moving to avert a mass exodus from the Gaza Strip into its Sinai Peninsula, as Israeli bombardment halted crossings at the main exit point from the Palestinian enclave, Gaza officials and Egyptian security sources said.

According to the United Nations, more than 338,000 people have been forced to flee their homes in the Gaza Strip because of heavy Israeli bombardments.

Another headache for Athens is the possibility of terrorists crossing into the country and hiding among groups of refugees.

The country’s secret services also scrutinise people living in Greece and have potential connections with Hamas officials. Linguists and algorithm experts will also contribute to the search for encrypted messages.

(Sarantis Michalopoulos | Euractiv.com)