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International law experts have warned that Greece's deepening cooperation with Israel violates Athens' legal obligations regarding Palestine, with one calling Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis "complicit in the violation of international law."
The warnings come after Mitsotakis participated in a trilateral summit with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides in West Jerusalem on Dec. 22 — a meeting that drew sharp criticism from Türkiye and sparked protests in Greece.
Dr. Heidi Matthews of York University's Osgoode Hall Law School told state-run Anadolu Agency (AA) on Thursday that Mitsotakis' participation in the summit "sends the message that Athens is happy to pursue regional political interests at the expense of non-compliance with international law."
"Greece has a history of complicity in Israel's genocide in Gaza, primarily by allowing Greek territorial waters and ports to be used for the shipment of military cargo and dual-use materials," Matthews said.
She noted that Greek lawyers this week filed a formal complaint against the Greek government objecting to the use of Heraklion Port by a ship called "Ocean Gladiator," which was carrying more than 1,600 tons of American-made ammunition destined for Israel — one of the largest shipments since Oct. 7, 2023.
"The legal objection resulted in the ship changing its planned route," she noted.
Matthews later pointed to International Court of Justice (ICJ) rulings from 2024 that clearly established third states are legally obligated to refrain from any action that would recognize the illegal situation created by Israel's ongoing presence in the occupied Palestinian territories, including Gaza.
"In this context, Greece's acceptance of deepening cooperation with Israel in security, defense and military fields, including maritime security, will violate its obligations under international law in the context of Palestine," Matthews warned.
Professor Neve Gordon of Queen Mary University of London said Mitsotakis' visit to Netanyahu is contributing to the erosion of the post-World War II international legal order.
"While there is an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Netanyahu, world leaders should demand his arrest rather than honor him. Therefore, Prime Minister Mitsotakis is complicit in the violation of international law," he noted.
Mitsotakis became the first European leader to meet with Netanyahu in Israel after the ICC issued an arrest warrant against the Israeli prime minister for alleged war crimes in Gaza, having first visited on April 1, 2025.
Professor Gentian Zyberi, an international law and human rights expert at the University of Oslo's Norwegian Centre for Human Rights, said there is only one expectation from all heads of state and government visiting Israel.
"They must demand that Israel comply with its obligations under international law," Zyberi said.
"These obligations include adhering to the ceasefire reached in October, allowing widespread entry of humanitarian aid including medicine and tents, halting illegal settlements, and ending the unlawful occupation as demanded by the U.N. General Assembly last year," he added.
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The summit also drew criticism within Greece from human rights advocates and Palestinian supporters.
Ahmed Hassan, secretary of the Palestinian Community Association in Greece, told AA in a separate interview that they were "not pleased" with Mitsotakis' contacts and were "sad that no step was taken regarding the recognition of the State of Palestine."
Hasan noted that the Greek Parliament decided in 2015 to recognize the State of Palestine, but the decision has not been implemented.
"The Greek people, unlike the government, truly support Palestine and the Palestinian people. The government, contrary to public opinion, does not display such a supportive attitude," Hassan noted.
Lefteris Papagiannakis, head of the Hellenic League for Human Rights, said the Mitsotakis government "generally supports Israel" but noted, "there are very strong reactions against this."
"We are waiting for the recognition of the State of Palestine. Because this is a very important issue," Papagiannakis added.
Greece's opposition New Left Party said in a statement that the trilateral summit "creates danger in the Eastern Mediterranean" by transforming cooperation "into a structure of military polarization with the participation of Netanyahu, who is under prosecution by the International Criminal Court."
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