The Progressive Party of Working People (AKEL) has called on the government to prevent a US vessel carrying jet fuel for Israel from docking or refuelling in Cypriot ports.
The ship, named “Overseas Santorini”, is reportedly en route to Israel with a substantial cargo of aviation fuel intended for Israeli fighter jets.
According to sources, the ship is meant to dock in Limassol in early August.
AKEL claims that allowing the vessel to use Cypriot facilities would implicate the country in supporting Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
In a strongly-worded statement, AKEL accused Western nations of “covering up, arming, and supporting Israel’s war machine, which sows carnage and death”.
The party argued that supplying weapons, technology, and fuel to the Israeli military amounts to complicity in what they termed a “genocide against the Palestinians”.
The opposition party highlighted a recent UN Human Rights Council resolution expressing concern that such supplies could enhance Israel’s capacity to commit serious violations of international law and human rights.
AKEL also warned of potential risks to Cyprus itself, stating that the ship’s proximity to the island could expose the country to “very serious” dangers.
The left-wing party now joins a chorus of actors calling to block the shipment from reaching Israel, which is led by a diverse alliance operating under the banner “No Harbour for Genocide”, which includes:
- Progressive International
- Global Energy Embargo for Palestine
- Disrupt Power
- Palestine Institute for Public Diplomacy
- Valero Out of Corpus
- Arab Group for the Protection of Nature
- BDS movement
- Gibraltar for Palestine
Reactions in UK, Spain
Parliamentarians in the United Kingdom have also reacted to stop the oil tanker from docking in UK-controlled Gibraltar.
The Guardian reported that a cross-party group of MPs wrote to David Lammy, the UK foreign secretary, asking him to intervene to prevent the tanker from refuelling in Gibraltar.
The MPs, including members of the Scottish Nationalists, Labour and Green parties, have urged the government to “prohibit and prevent Gibraltar being used as a haven for the transport of military fuel used in Israel’s assault on Gaza”.
Protests in Spain by trade unionists and activists have already resulted in the owners of the Overseas Santorini abandoning plans to dock in the Spanish port of Algeciras.
Campaigners said the Overseas Santorini was carrying military-grade JP-8 fuel, delivered as part of a contract with the US government, that powers F-16 fighter jets.
