ATHENS, July 23: The leader of Greece’s Orthodox Church accused Israel on Sunday of ‘sacrificing innocent civilians’ in its bombardment of Lebanon.

“Israel’s actions within its right to self-defence have long exceeded any rational limit,” Archbishop Christodoulos said.

“(They are) sacrificing innocent civilians by the hundreds, and creating refugees by the thousands,” he added, telling the Israeli authorities, “Do not provoke our consciences. Do not feed the world condemnation against you. It is not in your interest. ... Fear God’s wrath.”

The church has played a lead role in sheltering Greek evacuees from Lebanon who have no home or close relatives here.

Greece’s Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis also repeated her criticism of the Israeli attacks.

“The developments in the Middle East are the epitome of senselessness,” Bakoyannis wrote in an article published in Sunday’s Eleftherotypia newspaper.

“Children are being killed, families torn apart, towns are being destroyed and the infrastructure of a country razed,” she wrote.

“It’s the civilian population that is being attacked in both countries — Lebanon and Israel.”—AP