Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will hold a trilateral meeting in Jerusalem on Monday with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Greek Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides.
A joint declaration will be issued after the summit signaling ties among the three Eastern Mediterranean partners are “entering a new stage,” according to diplomatic sources cited by The Times of Israel.
The declaration is expected to cover cooperation in energy and security, as well as sectors ranging from tourism to agriculture.
While reports have surfaced in recent weeks about the creation of a joint rapid-response force, Israeli officials stressed that no concrete or publicly presentable framework has yet been finalized.
Greece has also indicated readiness to contribute to the post-conflict phase in Gaza, both through humanitarian assistance and reconstruction efforts, and by examining possible participation in an international stabilization force.
Greek involvement in Gaza reportedly featured prominently in Netanyahu’s talks with Mitsotakis.
According to Israeli media, Greece is considering sending engineering units to the Gaza Strip as part of the second part of the U.S. ceasefire plan.
Israeli officials said that they are encouraging Athens to take an active role in Gaza’s “day after,” as Israel and Greece seek to tighten strategic coordination and curb Türkiye’s influence in the Eastern Mediterranean.
While combat deployment is seen as unlikely, auxiliary contributions such as engineering support are being discussed, though no final agreement has been reached.
Separately, Israeli, Greek, and Greek Cypriot officials have begun preliminary discussions on a possible joint rapid reaction mechanism.
Israeli and Greek media reported on Dec. 18 that the concept under review would not involve a permanent multinational unit, but rather a flexible framework that could be activated swiftly during crises, with operational capabilities at sea, in the air and on land.
One scenario reportedly envisions a force of around 2,500 personnel, potentially comprising about 1,000 troops each from Israel and Greece and roughly 500 from Greek Cyprus. Officials, however, caution that the talks remain exploratory and far from formalization.
Ahead of the Jerusalem talks, Mitsotakis traveled to the occupied West Bank, where he met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah.
During the meeting, the Greek prime minister reiterated Athens’ long-standing support for a political solution to the Palestinian issue based on the two-state framework.
