The “Peace Ship”, which will go from Piraeus Port of Greece to Istanbul and then to Egypt, will give a message of support for the Palestinian people.
Activists and Peace Ship passengers gathered at the Piraeus Port and chanted slogans in support of Palestine in front of the ship with a banner reading “Stop the killings in Palestine”.
The 77 thousand tons, 1800 passenger capacity ship, which is on a world tour, will leave Piraeus Port this evening and go to its next stop, Istanbul, and then to Egypt’s Port Said city near the Suez Canal.
A banner with a message of support for Palestine from Egypt to Egypt will also be hung on the exterior of the ship.
Passengers made a press statement in front of the Peace Ship and demanded that an unconditional ceasefire be declared and the conflict in Palestine be ended.
In the press release, in which Israel’s attacks on Palestine are described as “genocide”, “The bombardment of Gaza, including hospitals, schools and housing, and the restriction on the supply of water, food, fuel and humanitarian aid are a clear violation of international human rights.” he said.
Peace Ship International Coordinator Karen Hallows said, “We condemn Hamas’ actions and demand the release of the hostages. On the other hand, we must say that the attacks on Gaza are against international law. Hospitals, schools, residences… The people of Gaza have been bombed for days.” she said.
Stating that the Peace Ship is a tool to raise awareness and convey a message, Hallows said, “We call for an unconditional ceasefire. At the Peace Ship, we believe that the only solution is to provide justice for everyone, end the occupation, stop the attacks and return to dialogue.” he said.
Singaporean Shi Li, one of the passengers of the Peace Ship, said: “We will also pass through the Suez Canal, it is very close to Egypt. It is very important for us to know that we demand peace. The Peace Ship encourages peace. I think it is very important. Stop killing. We want everyone to live together in peace.” said.
Peace Ship, a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) initiative based in Japan, organizes educational tours to promote peace.
Young people are hosted on the Peace Ship, which has been organizing voyages to Palestine, Israel and Gaza since 1990, to strengthen and spread peace and dialogue.
The opinions expressed herein are the author’s and not necessarily those of News2Sea.
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