Small bomb explodes at Greek offices of Israeli shipping firm Zim
Minor damage caused to Piraeus office, unknown assailants scatter ‘Free Palestine’ leaflets at scene
A makeshift explosive device went off Wednesday morning outside the Greek offices of shipping company Zim, Israel’s main container shipping line, local police sources said.
Minor damage was caused by the blast in the port city of Piraeus, they added. No injuries were reported.
The unknown attackers threw leaflets reading “Free Palestine” at the scene of the attack.
Since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war, Zim has been targeted by pro-Palestinian activists in some overseas ports protesting Israel’s offensive, attempting to block the company’s routes.
Last month, Malaysia banned Israeli-flagged cargo ships from docking at its ports, in response to the operation, which it said ignores “basic humanitarian principles.”
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim singled out Zim in the decision.
TODAY: Activists in Halifax blocked CN rail tracks used for transporting weapons to Israel via ZIM ships. ZIM is the largest Israeli shipping company, known to ship weapons from Canadian companies. The activists called for an immediate arms embargo on Israel. #CeasefireNow pic.twitter.com/v9nAsbw0Hs
— World BEYOND War Canada (@WBWCanada) January 12, 2024
The war erupted on October 7, when terror group Hamas attacked Israel from the Gaza Strip, in an assault that killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Thousands of terrorists who invaded across the border also abducted at least 240 people, most of whom are still captives in Gaza. Israel responded with a military campaign to destroy Hamas, remove it from power, and free the hostages.
Iran-backed Houthis rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea beginning in November, saying they were avenging Israel’s offensive in Gaza against Hamas. But they have frequently targeted vessels with tenuous or no clear links to Israel, imperiling shipping in a key route for global trade.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the bomb.
Greek leftists and anarchists, most of whom are staunchly pro-Palestinian, have gained a reputation over the decades for using small-scale explosives to vandalize targets.
On Saturday, Israel accused Hamas of running a network of operatives in Europe commanded by terror leaders in Lebanon, as its intelligence agencies released new details on the Gaza-based organization’s attempts to attack Israeli and Jewish targets abroad.
Most of the group’s Lebanon-based commanders, including Saleh al-Arouri and Khalil Harraz, were killed in airstrikes in recent weeks attributed to Israel, as Jerusalem pursues the group’s top echelons.
Hamas cells in Denmark, Germany, and Holland were raided in December on suspicion of plotting to attack Jewish targets in Europe.
