Jerusalem: On Tuesday, Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg was deported from Israel, according to the Israeli Foreign Ministry, following the interception of a charity vessel attempting to breach the country’s naval blockade of Gaza. The 22-year-old activist, known for her global environmental advocacy, was part of a group of pro-Palestinian activists aiming to deliver humanitarian aid and spotlight the ongoing crisis in Gaza.
Thunberg was placed on a flight to France, with plans to continue to Sweden, the ministry confirmed. “Three other people who had been aboard the charity vessel also agreed to immediate repatriation,” while eight others are challenging their deportation orders, according to a statement from Adalah, an Israeli human rights group providing legal support. Those contesting deportation are currently detained in a facility awaiting a court hearing, though the date remains unspecified.
The incident began early Monday when Israeli forces intercepted the British-flagged yacht near Gaza’s coast. The vessel, carrying a small cargo of humanitarian supplies like rice and baby formula, was part of an effort to break Israel’s naval blockade, which has restricted access to Gaza since Hamas assumed control in 2007. The blockade tightened in March 2024, with Israel limiting land access and allowing only minimal food supplies distributed through an Israeli-backed group. The yacht was diverted to the port of Ashdod, and its 12-person crew was transported to Ben Gurion Airport overnight.
The activists’ mission was to draw global attention to Gaza’s humanitarian crisis, exacerbated by months of conflict. The war, sparked by a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed over 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, has led to devastating consequences. According to Gaza’s health officials, Israel’s retaliatory offensive has claimed over 54,000 Palestinian lives and displaced most of the region’s 2.3 million residents, with the United Nations warning of famine-like conditions.
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Israel labeled the activists’ voyage a “pro-Hamas publicity stunt”. The Foreign Ministry stated, “The tiny amount of aid that was on the yacht and not consumed by the ‘celebrities’ will be transferred to Gaza through real humanitarian channels.” Despite Thunberg’s well-known stance against air travel due to its carbon footprint, Israel released an image of her aboard a plane bound for Paris.
A video released by the organizers, filmed before the vessel’s seizure, captured Thunberg’s perspective: “If it were taken that would mean Israel had kidnapped her and the rest of the crew in international waters.”
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The incident drew international commentary, including from U.S. President Donald Trump, who remarked, “I think Israel has enough problems without kidnapping Greta Thunberg. She’s a young, angry person … I think she has to go to an anger management class.”
Israel’s blockade, intended to prevent weapons from reaching Hamas, has been a point of contention, particularly as Gaza’s humanitarian situation worsens. The recent allowance of limited aid through an Israeli-supported group has done little to alleviate the crisis, with widespread destruction and loss of life continuing to dominate the region’s narrative.
