Greek mission “Oxygono” ready to sail with Global Sumud Flotilla to Gaza
A few days remain until the departure of the Greek ship “Oxygono” from the port of Syros, as part of the international initiative Global Sumud Flotilla (“March to Gaza”), which aims to break the blockade of the Gaza Strip and deliver a message of solidarity to the Palestinian people.
Ploutarchos Vergis, a member of the Greek delegation, spoke about the preparations, delays, and the strong political and humanitarian message of the initiative. Although the initial plan was for the ship to depart from Syros today, Vergis announced that the departure has been postponed due to delays of the fleet in Tunisia. A new date will be announced soon, as “it is very important to sail together with the global fleet,” which numbers about 50 ships from more than 44 countries. The flotilla began from Barcelona, with ships from Italy and Tunisia already joining the route. The Greek “Oxygono” will meet the fleet and together they will head towards Gaza.
From Egypt to Gaza – Continuing a Commitment
The Greek participation in the Global Sumud Flotilla follows the earlier march to Gaza through Egypt. As Vergis emphasized, “we promised that we would not stop talking about Palestine and the genocide carried out by Israel.”
The Greek delegation has already organized several actions in Greece – from demonstrations in Kalamata to the nationwide mobilization on August 10 – and is now planning a Crete-wide mobilization in Souda on October 17–18. “In essence, we demand from the Greek government, which unfortunately is friendly towards war criminal Netanyahu, to cut off all military, diplomatic, commercial and economic relations with the genocidal state of Israel,” Vergis said. He stressed that the flotilla will try to break the blockade “and send a message to the whole planet that this injustice, this attempt to eliminate an entire people, cannot and must not be allowed to happen.”
He added: “And of course, in the name of the Greek people, the Greek government cannot so openly support war criminals and take part in the attempt to erase an entire people.”
“Syros Showed the Way”
Asked about the choice of Syros as the departure point of the Greek mission, Vergis explained that it was not accidental. It was in Syros where the first strong protest took place against the presence of the cruise ship San Miguel, advertised to Israeli soldiers as a “safe relaxation destination.” “Syros showed the way and the means for the Greek people to say that they do not agree, cannot participate, and cannot approve of a genocide taking place before our eyes,” he underlined.
He also stressed the importance of monitoring the flotilla’s course online: “This is the security the crews need, including the Greek ship. People must also put pressure on the Greek government for safe departure and passage through Greek territorial waters towards international waters, and then pressure Israel so that it does not continue hostile actions against the flotilla.”
According to Vergis, Israel has already attempted intimidation, with at least two attacks on flotilla ships in the past 30 hours, something he said cannot continue. “Israel cannot drop bombs on ships located not even in international, but in Tunisian territorial waters, just a few meters off Tunisia’s coast,” he stated, explaining that this shows Israel acts without fear of being stopped. “This is important for Greeks to understand: Israel does not simply want to push some Palestinians from Gaza to the West Bank. Israel wants to expand. It has learned that whatever it wants to do, nobody will ever stop it. This cannot continue – not in 2025, not earlier, and certainly not now.”
The Crew of “Oxygono”
For security reasons, the exact number of crew members has not been announced. However, it was revealed that aboard the “Oxygono” will be academic Kleoniki Alexopoulou, rescuer Iasonas Apostolopoulos, and MP Petri Perka, together with experienced sailors.
Vergis made clear: “For every ship Israel tries to block, ten more will sail for Gaza. We will not stop talking about Palestine.”
A Message of Solidarity
Concluding, Vergis underlined: “Nothing can stop us from continuing to fight and to raise awareness across the planet about what is happening. We will not stop speaking about Gaza. We will not back down or be intimidated by the genocidal state of Israel and the war criminal Netanyahu, who has been condemned by European courts for war crimes.”
He ended with a message to the public: “One eye on the flotilla, all the rest on Gaza. The heroes are the Palestinians who endure and do not abandon their homeland. Our mission is to stand by them.”
Source: Paratiritis News
