Two Greek vessels, the “Oxygen” and the “Helektra” departed from the island of Syros on Sunday evening to join an international flotilla headed for Gaza, aiming to break Israel’s naval blockade and deliver what organizers call a “humanitarian and solidarity corridor.”
💣Ξεκίνησαν!
❤Εδώ η συγκλονιστική στιγμή που το "Οξυγόνο", το πλοίο της ελληνικής αποστολής, ξεκινά για να βρει τα άλλα πλοία του παγκόσμιου στόλου, να σπάσουν τον απάνθρωπο αποκλεισμό και να μεταφέρουν φάρμακα & βρεφική τροφή στη Γάζα.
Αν η μισή μας καρδιά βρίσκεται εδώ πέρα,… pic.twitter.com/toBUa9lWwW
— Chris Avramidis (@chris_avramidis) September 14, 2025
«Οξυγόνο» και «Ηλέκτρα» τα δυο ελληνικά πλοία που συμμετέχουν στο #GlobalSumudFlotilla και σαλπάρουν από την Ερμούπολη για την Παλαιστίνη.
Μαζί με το σκάφος «Οξυγόνο» ανακοινώθηκε πως αναχωρεί από την Σύρο και το πλοίο «Ηλέκτρα» με ελληνική και διεθνή συμμετοχή.
Εκατοντάδες… pic.twitter.com/HGN8BZXCFf— Areti Athanasiou (@AretiAthanasiu) September 14, 2025
The boats is Greece’s contribution to the Global Sumud Flotilla, a fleet of more than 40 ships crewed by activists from 44 countries. It carries medicines and baby food.
According to participants, the mission is both symbolic and practical: to carry aid and solidarity while drawing international attention to the situation in Gaza.
“When we watch the images from Gaza and the West Bank, we feel pain,” said Agisilaos Koulouris of the March to Gaza Greece initiative. “We hurt because we see children and people slaughtered. We named our boat Oxygen because oxygen means life.”
Speaking to newspaper tovima.com, Koulouris linked the name to global and local tragedies, referencing George Floyd’s last words, the drowning of migrants off Pylos, and the deadly train crash at Tempi in Greece. “Our demand for oxygen—symbolically and literally—is more urgent than ever,” he said.
Calls for support
Another activist, Angeliki Savvantoglou, emphasized that the flotilla’s success depends on international awareness. “As our people sail towards Gaza, there are many ways for everyone to support the fleet and its mission,” she said. “Each of us can do something, even something small, to become part of this effort.”
On Sunday, farewell events were held at Syros’ port, where supporters gathered to cheer the departure and underline the message: “All eyes are on Gaza.”
Organizers urged citizens worldwide to demand safe passage for the flotilla. “We know Greek authorities will not make it easy. We know Israeli authorities will attack us. The only ones who can guarantee our safety are all of you,” the group declared. “Keep your eyes on the flotilla, keep your eyes on Gaza.”
