Gaza protest blocks cruise ship's visit to Greece

Protesters on the Greek island of Syros prevented a cruise ship from docking there this week amid growing calls for Israel to end its military activities in Gaza.

Around 1,700 passengers were on the Crown Iris when it tried to dock at Syros on Tuesday. The vessel, which was being operated by the Israeli company Mano Cruise, was met by at least 150 demonstrators who prevented passengers from disembarking. The Times of Israel said around 1,600 Israeli nationals were on board at the time.

The protesters, some waving Palestinian flags, called for an end to the conflict in Gaza that began after the Palestinian group Hamas led an attack on Israel on Oct 7, 2023 that claimed around 1,200 Israeli lives. Israel's response had claimed the lives of more than 61,200 Palestinians as of July 20, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

With aid agencies claiming this week that an Israeli blockade of supplies into Gaza had stoked malnutrition and was threatening mass starvation, and with 28 nations issuing a joint declaration this week calling for an immediate end to the conflict, the protest on Syros featured banners reading "Stop the Genocide".

The cruise ship, which had been scheduled to spend six hours in Syros, ended up setting sail for Limassol in Cyprus.

A statement from the protesters quoted by The Guardian newspaper said: "As residents of Syros but more so as human beings, we are taking action that we hope will contribute to stopping this destruction from the genocidal war that is taking place in our neighborhood."

A protest group called We Stay Active posted on social media that "residents and visitors to the island state that soldiers, settlers, and supporters of the war and the occupation of Palestine are unwanted on the island".

Mano Maritime said in a news release its cruise ship "encountered a demonstration by pro-Palestinian supporters" that meant "passengers were stuck on board without permission to disembark". The company said it decided to "sail to another tourist destination", and that "all passengers and crew members are resting and spending time on the ship on their way to the new destination".

The Independent newspaper said Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar contacted his counterpart in Greece, George Gerapetritis, to talk about the incident. No details of the conversation between them have been released but the Cyprus Mail said it understood Saar had "requested intervention".

One passenger told Kan News, a division of the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation, that some people on board the cruise ship had responded to the protesters.

"We raised Israeli flags and some of us started signing," the passenger said. "Inside the ship, we feel safe, but the children are a little stressed."

earle@mail.chinadailyuk.com