Crete protesters try to block arrival of Israeli tourists
The protesters at the port of Agios Nikolaos waved banners saying 'Stop the genocide' as the Crown Iris approached, according to images on the public broadcaster ERT.
The images also showed police using tear gas to disperse the crowd, allowing several hundred passengers to board buses on the island.
'I had a sore throat from the tear gas and had to leave the demonstration,' Elena Toutoudaki, a teacher in her fifties, told AFP.
Three people were arrested before being released, according to a local police source.
Protesters have targeted the Crown Iris, with around 600 mostly Israelis on board, in other Greek islands.
On Monday, protesters scuffled with police who made eight arrests as it docked in Rhodes, media reports said, while last week 200 people protested in Syros as the ship approached.
Police had insisted passengers could disembark on Syros, but the Times of Israel reported that the ship's owners decided to skip the island.
Greek Minister of Citizen Protection Mihalis Chryssohoidis subsequently said anyone who 'prevents a citizen of a third country from visiting our country will be prosecuted under the anti-racism law.'
Numerous demonstrations against the Israeli war on Gaza have taken place in Athens and other cities across Greece.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Saudi Gazette
an hour ago
- Saudi Gazette
Hamas says it will not disarm without fully sovereign Palestinian state
GAZA CITY — Hamas declared Saturday that it will not surrender its weapons unless an 'independent, fully sovereign' Palestinian state is established with Jerusalem as its capital, rejecting reports that it had agreed to demilitarize. The statement came after Israel's Haaretz newspaper published a recording attributed to U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff in which he reportedly said, 'Hamas has said that they are prepared to be demilitarized' and that a solution to end the war was 'very, very close.' 'Resistance and its weapons are a national and legitimate right as long as the occupation continues, a right recognized by international laws and conventions,' Hamas said on Telegram. 'Such rights cannot be relinquished except with the full attainment of our national rights.' Witkoff met families of Israeli hostages in Tel Aviv on Saturday, his third visit to Hostage Square since the war began, amid renewed calls for a ceasefire deal following the release of videos showing two emaciated Israeli captives. On Friday, Witkoff toured an aid center in southern Gaza run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), saying he aimed to give U.S. President Donald Trump 'a clear understanding of the humanitarian situation' to shape a plan for food and medical aid condemned the visit as a 'propaganda stunt' designed to deflect outrage over what UN officials and rights groups have described as Israel's systematic starvation Health Ministry says at least 169 Palestinians, including 93 children, have died from hunger-related causes since Oct. 7, calls for a ceasefire, Israel has continued its offensive in Gaza, which the ministry says has killed more than 60,000 people, most of them women and International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes, while Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice. — Agencies
Leaders
6 hours ago
- Leaders
Spain Airdrops 12 Tons of Food Aid into Famine-Hit Gaza
Spain announced on Friday it had airlifted 12 tons of food into Gaza amid a worsening humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian enclave, according to AFP. Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares revealed that the operation included the deployment of 24 parachutes, each carrying 500 kilos (1,100 pounds) of food—enough to feed 11,000 people. Albares stated that Spain also has humanitarian aid awaiting entry into Gaza via land routes from Egypt. 'The induced famine that the people of Gaza are suffering is a disgrace to all of humanity,' 'Israel must open all land crossings permanently so that humanitarian aid can enter on a massive scale,' Albares said. On Friday, France also began airdropping 40 tons of humanitarian aid to Gaza on Friday and urged Israel to allow full access to the area amid a worsening starvation crisis, according to Reuters. 'Faced with the absolute urgency, we have just conducted a food airdrop operation in Gaza. Thank you to our Jordanian, Emirati, and German partners for their support, and to our military personnel for their commitment,' President Emmanuel Macron wrote on social media platform X. Last week, the Royal Jordanian Air Force and UAE Air Force C-130 aircraft successfully carried out three humanitarian airdrops full of food and basic necessities amid the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. Dozens of Gazans including children have lost their souls due to malnutrition throughout the 21 months of war, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Related Topics: Trump's Envoy Visits GHF Aid Site as Gaza Starvation Crisis Deepens Italy Launches Critical Gaza Aid Drops as Famine Threat Looms Slovenia Imposes Arms Embargo on Israel Over Gaza Conflict Short link : Post Views: 80
Leaders
14 hours ago
- Leaders
Trump's Envoy Visits GHF Aid Site as Gaza Starvation Crisis Deepens
The US Special Envoy, Steve Witkoff, visited a food distribution site operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) amid growing controversy over the US and Israeli-backed organization's operations. The visit came as Gaza is facing a looming famine and after the US President, Donald Trump, acknowledged there was 'real starvation' in Gaza, despite Israeli denials. Witkoff in Gaza On Friday, Witkoff visited a GHF aid distribution site in the southern city of Rafah – one of three locations operated by the controversial organization in the war-torn enclave and near which Israeli gunfire killed hundreds of Palestinians, reported CNN. Accompanied by the US Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, the US Special Envoy said that they 'spent over five hours inside Gaza — level setting the facts on the ground, assessing conditions, and meeting with) GHF officials) and other agencies.' He added that the purpose of the visit was to relay to Trump a 'clear understanding of the humanitarian situation and help craft a plan to deliver food and medical aid to the people of Gaza.' Gaza Starvation Crisis Gaza is enduring a deepening starvation crisis as a result of a two-month Israeli blockade on the Strip and restrictions imposed on aid flow. Starvation and malnutrition are claiming more lives in Gaza, as the death toll from war has exceeded 60,000, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a UN-backed monitor, warned on Tuesday that the 'worst-case scenario of famine' is 'now unfolding' in Gaza. The enclave's health authorities said that the war's death toll from hunger has reached 162 Palestinians, including 92 children. US Acknowledges Starvation Earlier this week, Trump said there was a 'real starvation' in Gaza, suggesting that the US would establish new food centers in the Strip. With his remarks, Trump contradicted the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who claimed there was no starvation in Gaza. During a visit to Scotland on Monday, the US President said that Israel assumes a lot of responsibility for aid flows, suggesting that many people could be saved. 'You have a lot of starving people,' Trump said. 'We're going to set up food centers,' to ease access, he said, adding that the US would collaborate with other countries to provide more humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza, including food and sanitation. After Witkoff's visit to Gaza, Trump said he spoke to him and that the US Envoy 'had a great meeting with a lot of people, and the primary meeting was on food. And he had, he also had some other conversations that I'll tell you about later, but he had a meeting on getting the people fed, and that's what we want.' Visiting GHF Site The GHF operation system aims to control aid distribution in Gaza and prevent aid from reaching Hamas – a claim that an internal US government review debunked after finding no evidence that Hamas steals humanitarian aid. However, the GHF model has been marred with controversy. Since it started operation in May, more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces while seeking aid, most of them near GHF distribution sites, according to the UN Human Rights Office. The UN refused to work with the GHF, saying it violates basic humanitarian principles. After his Gaza visit, Huckabee praised GHF, saying that it delivers food to Palestinians in Gaza without reaching Hamas. He said that the organization distributed over 100 million meals to Gaza since it started operation in May – a number that other aid agencies said was insufficient. Meanwhile, Palestinians said that Israeli troops fired at them while waiting for food supplies near the same distribution hub that Witkoff and Huckabee visited on Friday. At least 12 people were killed and 90 others injured while attempting to get aid, including near the site that US officials visited. Commenting on Witkoff's trip to Gaza, Hamas senior official, Basem Naim, criticized the visit as a publicity stunt. 'Mr. Witkoff, Gaza is not an animal farm that requires a staged personal visit to take some personal photos in front of the death traps overseen by your American companies,' Naim said in a statement. Netanyahu Meeting Before his Gaza visit, Witkoff met with Netanyahu on Thursday in an effort to save ceasefire talks and address the Strip's humanitarian crisis, reported Reuters. Following the meeting, an Israeli official said that the US and Israel are working on an understanding that there was a need to move to a plan to release all the hostages, disarm Hamas, and demilitarize the Gaza Strip. After Witkoff's arrival in Israel, Trump posted on Truth Social: 'The fastest way to end the Humanitarian Crises in Gaza is for Hamas to SURRENDER AND RELEASE THE HOSTAGES!!' Ceasefire Talks The Gaza ceasefire negotiations appear to have reached a deadlock as the US and Israel pulled their negotiating teams from Doha last week, accusing Hamas of not wanting to reach a deal. They also said they would consider 'alternative options' to release the remaining hostages. On Tuesday, mediators Egypt and Qatar backed the Two-State Solution Conference's final declaration, issued by Saudi Arabia and France, which states that Hamas 'must end its rule in Gaza and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority.' Under increasing international pressure to prevent famine in Gaza, Israel announced last week 'tactical pauses' to fighting across three areas in the Strip: Muwasi, Deir al-Balah and Gaza City from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm local time to allow aid delivery. It also announced other measures including the resumption of airdrops into Gaza and establishing safe corridors for aid convoys. However, humanitarian groups have criticized aid airdrops as expensive, inefficient and dangerous for those on the ground. On Saturday, Gaza's Health Ministry said that the World Health Organization (WHO) will deliver trucks loaded with urgent medical supplies and equipment to Gaza's hospitals. Short link : Post Views: 10
