The talks were attended by senior officials from the Greek armed forces and the Ministry of National Defence, as well as high-ranking representatives of the Israeli defence establishment, including the Israeli ambassador to Greece and senior military and defence officials.
In joint statements, Dendias said that Greece and Israel had agreed to exchange know-how in order to address threats from unmanned platforms, including swarms of drones and unmanned underwater vehicles, and to enhance cooperation in cyberspace. He also referred to the strengthening of the trilateral “3+1” framework with Cyprus and the United States, describing Greece and Israel as factors of security and stability in the eastern Mediterranean.
Israel Katz described Greece and Israel as two democracies with shared values and said cooperation between the two countries would be further strengthened in the technological and defence sectors.
The visit comes as the war in Gaza continues. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, at least 465 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 1,280 injured in Israeli attacks since the start of the “ceasefire”.
In his detailed remarks, Dendias highlighted the breadth of Greek–Israeli defence cooperation, from joint exercises and operational interoperability to research, innovation and defence industry projects. He referred to the defence cooperation programme for 2026, which includes dozens of joint actions in both countries, and to Greece’s efforts to develop domestic defence innovation through the Hellenic Centre for Defence Innovation, drawing on the Israeli model.
He also said that Greece supports Israel’s right to self-defence following the 7 October attacks, condemned what he described as terrorism, and reiterated support for the return of hostages. At the same time, he underlined Greece’s intention to maintain relations with both Israel and Arab countries, presenting Athens as a stabilising actor in the wider region.
The visit was sharply criticised by March to Gaza Greece, which described Katz as unwelcome in Athens. In a statement, the group said that his visit and meeting with the Greek government constitute a provocation and an act of political and military complicity in the crimes of the Israeli state.
According to March to Gaza Greece, while the blockade, mass destruction and attacks on civilians continue in Gaza, Greece is deepening military cooperation and arms purchases from Israel, normalising occupation, apartheid and war crimes. The group called for an immediate halt to all military cooperation, no arms purchases from the Israeli military-industrial complex and an end to what it described as the normalisation of genocide, concluding with the slogan: free Palestine – not in our name.
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