Israel Deports Greta Thunberg and 170 Activists After Gaza Aid Flotilla Interception

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Israel has deported Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and 170 other international activists who were detained last week after attempting to reach Gaza by sea with humanitarian aid.

According to Israel’s Foreign Ministry, the deported individuals were sent back to Greece and Slovakia, following the interception of the “Sumud” aid flotilla, which consisted of over 40 civilian vessels carrying food and medical supplies for Gaza.

Reports from Swiss and Spanish activists alleged inhumane conditions during their detention, though Israeli authorities have denied any mistreatment. The latest deportations on October 6 bring the total number of expelled activists to 341, while 479 individuals were detained overall.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry released a statement — along with a photograph of Thunberg at Ramon Air Base — emphasizing that the legal rights of all detainees were respected. The ministry also claimed that only one activist engaged in violence, allegedly biting a healthcare worker at Israel’s Ketziot Prison.

The deported activists include nationals from Greece, Italy, France, Ireland, Sweden, Poland, Germany, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Austria, Luxembourg, Finland, Denmark, Slovakia, Switzerland, Norway, the United Kingdom, Serbia, and the United States.

The Sumud Flotilla, described as the largest maritime effort to challenge Israel’s blockade of Gaza, carried around 500 participants, including lawmakers, lawyers, and human rights activists. The flotilla was stopped before reaching its destination.

Israel has maintained a strict naval blockade on Gaza, which it says is necessary to prevent arms smuggling to Hamas, the Palestinian militant group designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the European Union.

The ongoing conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked southern Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. In response, Israel launched a major military offensive that has, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, killed over 67,000 people in the enclave.