ATHENS 

Hundreds of protesters on the Greek island of Syros blocked an Israeli cruise ship, local media reported on Tuesday.

The protesters, who carried banners condemning the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza and Palestinian flags, gathered at the port area, whose security was already boosted by Greek police and port authorities, the local news outlets such as Cylades24, Rosa and Syrospress reported.

Israeli passengers stuck aboard the ship Iris Crown responded to Greek protesters by waving Israeli flags and chanting some slogans in Hebrew and English, which were not fully understood owing to the distance and wind, according to the local media.

Meanwhile, Israeli media reported that Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar spoke with his Greek counterpart, Giorgos Gerapetritis, on the phone and requested his intervention to resolve the issue of the ship's detention in Greece.

The development comes as Israel has killed more than 59,100 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in the Gaza Strip since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, collapsed the health system, and led to severe food shortages.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.