RAMALLAH, October 21, 2026 (WAFA) – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates stated on Wednesday that the Palestinian embassies in Greece and Lebanon were following up with the competent Greek authorities on two boat incidents off the Greek islands of Lesvos and Samos, in which Palestinians from Lebanon and Syria went missing while attempting to reach the islands two days ago.

In a statement, the Ministry said that both embassies had been in contact with the competent Greek authorities and the victims’ families since the missing persons were first reported.

It added that the Palestinian Embassy in Athens had contacted the Greek Ministry of Migration and Asylum and the Hellenic Coast Guard Directorate to follow up on developments in the two incidents.

It quoted Palestine’s Ambassador to Greece, Yusuf Dargham, as saying that the Hellenic Coast Guard Directorate had confirmed the recovery of four bodies from the sea near Lesvos and one near Samos. According to the Ministry, the bodies belonged to Palestinians and were among those that had yet to be identified.

The Ministry pointed out that Ambassador Dargham and Palestine’s Ambassador to Lebanon, Mohammed al-Asaad, were following up with the victims’ families to complete the necessary legal procedures for issuing death certificates and arranging the transfer of the bodies to Lebanon and Syria.

It noted that these procedures would take some time in accordance with the regulations in force in Greece.

It urged all Palestinians and families to refrain from resorting to irregular migration, warning of the catastrophic risks it poses to the lives of the Palestinian people.

K.F.