Sweden’s climate activist Greta Thunberg, along with 170 other activists from a Gaza-bound aid flotilla, was deported from Israel on Monday, authorities confirmed. The deportees, hailing from multiple countries including Greece, Italy, France, Ireland, Sweden, Poland, Germany, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Austria, Luxembourg, Finland, Denmark, Slovakia, Switzerland, Norway, the UK, Serbia, and the United States, were sent to Greece and Slovakia.
The activists were detained while attempting to deliver aid to Gaza and challenge Israel’s naval blockade. The Israeli Foreign Ministry described the participants as part of a “PR stunt” and emphasized that all their legal rights were upheld during detention and deportation. The ministry also alleged that misinformation was being spread by the activists as part of a “pre-planned fake news campaign.”
In a statement, Israel said that the only violent incident occurred when a “Hamas–Sumud provocateur” bit a female medical staff member at Ketsiyot Prison. Authorities denied reports that Thunberg and others were mistreated. Previous activist claims had alleged that Thunberg was dragged by her hair, forced to wear the Israeli flag, and subjected to intimidation. Activists Hazwani Helmi and Windfield Beaver described the incident as “a disaster” and said they were treated “like animals.”
The Israeli Foreign Ministry released images of Thunberg and the other deportees at the airport, reiterating that the flotilla was intercepted for security reasons. The boats — Sirius, Alma, and Adara — were stopped at sea and redirected to an Israeli port before the activists were transferred for deportation.
Israel urged the public not to believe reports it termed “fake news” circulated by the activists, insisting that all procedures were carried out legally and in accordance with international norms.
