JERUSALEM: Swedish climate and human rights activist Greta Thunberg was deported from Israel on Tuesday, a day after Israeli naval forces intercepted a boat carrying her and other pro-Palestinian activists attempting to reach Gaza, according to Israel’s Foreign Ministry.
Thunberg, 22, was placed on a flight to France and is expected to return to Sweden from there. Three other passengers aboard the seized vessel accepted immediate repatriation, while eight crew members are contesting their deportation, Israeli rights group Adalah said. Those individuals are being held in a detention center pending a court hearing.
The activists were aboard a British-flagged yacht that attempted to breach Israel’s long-standing naval blockade of Gaza early Monday. Israeli forces intercepted the vessel and redirected it to the port of Ashdod. The 12 crew members were later transferred to Ben Gurion Airport.
According to organizers, the crew was delivering a small cargo of humanitarian supplies—primarily rice and baby formula—intended to highlight the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, exacerbated by months of war and an ongoing blockade.
The Israeli government dismissed the voyage as a pro-Hamas “publicity stunt.” In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said the limited aid not consumed by “celebrities” would be transferred to Gaza via official humanitarian channels. The ministry also released a photo of Thunberg seated on a plane before departure—a notable image given her well-known refusal to fly due to environmental concerns.
A video released by the activists before the vessel was intercepted showed Thunberg stating that, if the boat were seized in international waters, it would amount to kidnapping.
Israel has enforced a naval blockade on Gaza since Hamas took control of the enclave in 2007, citing security concerns and the need to prevent arms smuggling. The blockade has persisted through multiple conflicts, including the current war triggered by the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led assault on southern Israel, which killed more than 1,200 people and saw over 250 taken hostage, according to Israeli figures.
In response, Israel launched a large-scale military campaign that has killed over 54,000 Palestinians, according to health authorities in Hamas-run Gaza. Much of the coastal enclave has been left in ruins, with the UN warning of a looming famine among Gaza’s 2.3 million residents. In March, Israel tightened the blockade, restricting virtually all land and sea access to the territory and allowing in only limited aid via select channels.
