Israeli media reported that the occupation authorities evacuated their embassy staff in Greece, following the escalation of anti-Israel protests in the capital, Athens, where the city witnessed massive demonstrations against Israeli policies in Gaza and its support for the Israeli aggression on the strip.

The newspaper "Israel Hayom" indicated that the evacuation process came as a result of rising popular anger, as the Greek leftist movement announced the organization of a march to Gaza on August 10, in a clear escalation of the stance rejecting the Israeli aggression, without providing additional details about the march.

In a statement from the movement, reported by the Hebrew newspaper, it confirmed that the Greek people would not remain silent in the face of what it described as the genocide being committed by Israel in Gaza, with the support and complicity of the West and the Greek government, referring to the ongoing aggression on the strip and the refusal of Greek society to remain silent about it.

In a related context, the Greek Communist Party condemned the statements of the Israeli ambassador in Athens, Naom Katz, who expressed his discomfort with Palestinian slogans written on the city’s walls, considering them disgraceful statements, pointing out that the Greek government has become the main defender of the crimes committed against the Palestinian people, under the pretext of a strategic alliance with Israel.

The Israeli ambassador sparked a wave of anger after criticizing pro-Palestinian graffiti, claiming that it offends the feelings of Israeli tourists, but the Mayor of Athens, Harris Doukas, responded strongly, affirming that the Municipality of Athens does not accept interference in its internal affairs and rejects being seen as receiving lessons in democracy from those who kill civilians and children in Gaza daily.

Doukas emphasized that most of the graffiti referred to by the ambassador had been removed, and it is outrageous for the ambassador to focus on wall writings while unprecedented genocide is being committed against Palestinians in Gaza, asserting that Athens respects its visitors and defends its right to freedom of expression.

Since the onset of the Israeli aggression on Gaza on October 7, 2023, Athens and other Greek cities have witnessed widespread demonstrations in support of the Palestinians, led by human rights activists and opposition forces, where protesters raised slogans condemning the aggression and demanding an end to the massacres against civilians.

Protesters also organized demonstrations against the cruise ship "Crown Iris," which docked at some Greek islands carrying hundreds of Israeli tourists, expressing popular anger at the Greek government's complicity with the Israeli occupation.

Amid the ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza, Palestinian statistics confirm that the aggression has resulted in more than 210,000 martyrs and wounded, the majority of whom are women and children, in addition to more than 9,000 missing under the rubble, and hundreds of thousands of displaced persons, amidst worsening famine that has claimed the lives of dozens, including a large number of children.