Firebombs Hit Homes of Greek Ruling Party Members, Injuring 5

A man looks at burned vehicles following firebomb attacks that apparently targeted members of Greece’s governing conservative New Democracy party in the northern port city of Thessaloniki, Greece, on July 1, 2026. Giannis Papanikos/APGreek authorities are investigating coordinated pre-dawn firebomb attacks in Thessaloniki that wounded a parliamentary candidate and her mother, as Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis vowed “zero tolerance” for political violence.The attacks happened during the hour before 5 a.m., when unknown assailants left gas canisters outside three residential buildings connected to members of the center-right New Democracy governing party.Police said the first two explosions caused property damage, while the third blast injured five people and damaged two cars and two motorcycles.New Democracy parliamentary candidate Aphrodite Nestora and her mother, who both suffered burns, were among the injured.The homes of Zisis Ioakimovits, president of the New Democracy Executive Committee in Thessaloniki, and former New Democracy lawmaker Savvas Anastasiadis were also targeted.Mitsotakis condemned the attacks in a statement posted on X on July 1, calling them an act of terrorism and promising that those responsible would face justice.“Let me begin by expressing my horror and my outrage at the cowardly, terrorist, murderous attack that three of our members were subjected to in the early hours of the morning in Thessaloniki,” he said. “And all of our thoughts are with Rizos, with Savvas, but above all with Aphrodite. Her mother is fighting for her life in the intensive care unit as we speak.”Mitsotakis said he would travel to Thessaloniki with Greece’s ministers for citizen protection and health to visit the injured and receive updates on their condition.He also warned that the government would not allow political violence to return.“Zero tolerance for any form of new terrorism that may appear in our homeland. We left those times behind us,” Mitsotakis said.The prime minister said his government remained committed to enforcing the law and added, “We will find you, and we will bring you to justice.”Police said investigators are working to identify those responsible for the coordinated attacks. Officials have not said whether the three incidents were carried out by the same group, but the timing and targets suggest they were linked.Burned vehicles are seen following firebomb attacks that apparently targeted members of Greece’s governing conservative New Democracy party in the northern port city of Thessaloniki, Greece, on July 1, 2026. Giannis Papanikos/APNew Democracy responded with a message of support for those affected, writing in a July 1 post on X, “We are not afraid of you.”The post included photographs of the three damaged buildings and identified the affected party members. An accompanying image carried the message, “The whole party is with you.”History of AttacksThe attacks came as Greece continues to deal with occasional politically motivated bombings and arson attacks, although recent incidents have generally caused property damage rather than serious injuries.In July 2025, a bomb exploded outside the Thessaloniki home of the president of Greece’s prison guards association. The official was unharmed, but two other people suffered minor injuries from flying glass.In June 2024, a police officer guarding the home of a senior judge in Athens was injured in a gasoline bomb attack. Authorities linked that incident to extremist violence, although attacks of that kind have become less frequent in recent years.The Associated Press contributed to this report.