According to March to Gaza Greece, “our comrades are currently being kidnapped and taken to an unknown location against their will”. The group reported that Israeli naval units attacked crew members with high-pressure water cannons before boarding the ship.

The interception sparked immediate mobilisation in Athens. March to Gaza called for demonstrations at 10am outside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and at 6.30pm in Eleftherias Park, followed by a march to the Israeli embassy. On Wednesday evening, as news of the first interceptions spread, crowds had already gathered outside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

 

Multiple ships targeted

In total, the Global Sumud Flotilla reported that 13 of its vessels were intercepted overnight, with more than 201 people aboard from 37 different countries. Video footage released by the flotilla shows Israeli navy ships using powerful searchlights and water cannons to intimidate activists.

“This action is not an isolated incident; it is part of a climate of impunity and military escalation targeting civilians, activists, and any attempt to resist the siege of Gaza,” March to Gaza said. “Israel has already been called upon by international judicial authorities to prevent actions that may constitute genocide, yet it continues to escalate its aggression. The interception of our fleet demonstrates that the international community must act now — not with assurances, but with concrete political and practical decisions to stop the extermination of the Palestinian people.”

The organisation described the attacks as “international piracy in violation of the law of the sea”, noting that this is the third such incident in 2025. It added: “The Greek government has a responsibility to guarantee the safety of the crews and to take all necessary action to protect the Greek men and women aboard them. Israel, after yet another act of piracy, can no longer be a strategic partner of our country.”

Calls for accountability

March to Gaza Greece issued a list of demands, including:

  • An immediate end to economic and military cooperation with Israel.

  • A halt to the war in Gaza and to any further military escalation targeting civilians.

  • The immediate release of all detained passengers and an end to illegal detentions.

  • International intervention to end the blockade and the mass killing of the Palestinian population.

  • Full transparency and accountability for the interception and those responsible.

“Enough is enough. It is a historical disgrace that the Greek government is complicit in genocide and in the actions of a pirate state,” the group said. “The Greek people have repeatedly shouted ‘Not in our name’. They do not identify with the government’s choices. Political cooperation, military assistance and diplomatic dealings that legitimise this violence must end immediately.”

The group called on parliaments and international organisations to cut ties with Israeli policy, and on movements, organisations and citizens across the world to intensify pressure through demonstrations, boycotts and campaigns.

Ongoing protests

Thursday’s rallies in Athens follow Wednesday night’s demonstration outside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, held shortly after the first news of the flotilla interceptions broke. Protesters demanded the immediate release of the crews and the return of the vessels and their cargo.

 

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