ATHENS

Hundreds of Greeks on Thursday protested the visit of an Israeli cruise ship at the Port of Piraeus, near Athens.

The crowd, which included maritime workers, pro-Palestinian activists, and members of the public, mostly from left-wing political parties and groups, carried Palestinian flags and banners denouncing Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza as well as Athens’ stance on it, which they called “complicity.”

The banners also underlined that “the killers of Palestinian people and peoples of the Middle East are unwanted on Greek soil.”

The protestors chanted slogans voicing support for a Palestine free of Israeli occupation while urging the Greek government and global public to stand “on the right side of the history” by suspending ties with Israel.

In recent weeks, visits by the ship, the Crown Iris, to many other Greek ports, including Syros, Rhodes, and Agios Nicholas in Crete and Volos, were met with similar protests.

Last Friday, Israel’s Security Cabinet approved Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to fully occupy Gaza City, drawing a sharp international backlash from governments and human rights bodies.

Israel is facing mounting condemnation for its genocidal war on Gaza, where it has killed more than 61,700 victims since October 2023.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for 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.