Greek police use tear gas to disperse protest against Israeli cruise ship in Crete

Greek police used tear gas and made several arrests on Tuesday as around 300 people attempted to block an Israeli cruise ship from docking on the island of Crete in the latest in a series of protests against the vessel amid growing anger over Israel's war on Gaza.

Protesters gathered at the port of Agios Nikolaos, holding banners that read "Stop the genocide" as the Crown Iris approached, according to images aired by public broadcaster ERT.

Footage showed police deploying tear gas to clear the crowd, allowing several hundred passengers to disembark and board buses on the island.

"I had a sore throat from the tear gas and had to leave the demonstration," said Elena Toutoudaki, a teacher in her fifties, speaking to AFP.

A local police source said three people were arrested but later released.

The Crown Iris, which carries around 600 passengers, most of them Israeli, has been met with similar protests at other Greek islands.

On Monday, demonstrators clashed with police in Rhodes, where eight people were arrested, according to media reports.

Anti-war protesters on Greece’s Cycladic island of Syros were the first to hold a demonstration against the docking of the Crown Iris on 22 July.

The crowd of about 200 people chanted slogans and carried banners that read "Stop the Genocide" and "No a/c in hell", in reference to the conditions Palestinians face in the Gaza Strip.

On that occasion, the ship’s roughly 1,700 passengers didn't disembark, and the ship left the island earlier than planned, with the company operating the trip, Israel's Mano Cruise, saying it had "decided in light of the situation in the city of Syros to now sail to another tourist destination".

The incident triggered a phone call by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar to Greek counterpart George Gerapetritis.

Greece's Minister for Citizen Protection Mihalis Chrisochoidis warned that anyone attempting to prevent foreign nationals from entering the country legally would face prosecution under Greece's anti-racism legislation.

Greece is a popular tourist destination for Israelis on package tours and travelling independently, particularly in the summer months, and there are several flights per day between Tel Aviv and Athens, as well as from Israeli airports directly to Greek islands.

Israel's brutal and indiscriminate offensive on Gaza, as well as its full siege on the enclave, has killed at least 60,000 people - most of whom were women and children.