Greek police arrested five people after a violent confrontation between Israelis and Palestinians at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Syntagma Square, Athens.
According to the Hellenic Police (ELAS) two Israelis, aged 30 and 29, and three Palestinians, aged 27, 26, and 25 have been detained.
- The three Palestinians face charges of dangerous bodily harm in concert with racist motives.
- The 29-year-old Israeli man is charged with bodily harm and threats with racist intent.
- The 30-year-old Israeli woman is charged with insult with racist elements.
Authorities confirmed that both the 29-year-old Israeli man and the 27-year-old Palestinian man were injured and received hospital care under police escort. Police also seized six poles from the scene, two of which carried Palestinian flags.
Video Shows Brutality
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Footage of the incident, shared widely on social media and seen below from MEGA TV’s instagram reel shows the altercation in front of the monument escalating with alarming violence. In the video, the 29-year-old Israeli man falls to the ground as the three Palestinians repeatedly kick and beat him with a pole. The 30-year-old Israeli woman is seen trying to protect him.
Commentators noted that the incident reflects the depth of hostility between Israelis and Palestinians, fueled further by the ongoing war in Gaza.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, located in front of Greece’s Parliament at Syntagma Square, is a national memorial and frequent protest site.
