ATHENS, Oct. 2 — Greek lawmakers on Thursday strongly condemned the interception of an international flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza by Israeli forces, urging the government to ensure the safety of Greek citizens on board, including a sitting member of parliament.
Representatives from PASOK, SYRIZA, the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), the New Left, and the Freedom Movement criticized the incident and demanded explanations from Israel, according to national broadcaster ERT.
Several vessels of the Global Sumud Flotilla were stopped in the Mediterranean Sea as they approached Gaza’s shores, with passengers transferred to an Israeli port, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said Wednesday night.
The flotilla, comprising around 50 vessels and more than 500 volunteers from over 40 countries, seeks to challenge Israel’s naval blockade and deliver food and medical supplies to Palestinians.
Pavlos Christidis of PASOK-KINAL said the seizure of ships in international waters “raises serious questions of legality and human rights,” stressing that international law must be applied “without exceptions.” KKE’s Nikos Karathanasopoulos denounced the raid as a “pirate attack,” accusing Israel and the European Union of failing to protect the mission.
SYRIZA spokesman Christos Giannoulis highlighted the participation of Greek MP Peti Perka in the flotilla, calling the interception “a humanitarian disaster” and urging Athens to abandon “a policy of equal distances.”
Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis said Greece, in cooperation with other countries, “will do everything in our power to ensure full security for these citizens.”
The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that its priority remains the safety of citizens, adding that registration, control and repatriation procedures will follow.
Several European countries, including France, Italy and Portugal, have also expressed concern about the issue, urging Israel to guarantee the safety of their nationals aboard the Gaza-bound aid ships.
Israel imposed a naval blockade on Gaza in 2007 after Hamas seized control of the enclave. The Israeli restrictions were further tightened following Hamas’s cross-border assault into southern Israel in October 2023. (Xinhua)
