Israel deported climate activist Greta Thunberg on Tuesday, a day after its navy intercepted a Gaza-bound aid ship she was aboard. According to the Israeli Foreign Ministry, Thunberg was flown to France and then continued to her home country of Sweden. A photo of Thunberg seated on the plane was posted on X, underscoring the irony of the anti-flying campaigner taking to the skies.
Thunberg was one of 12 passengers on the vessel Madleen, organized by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition. The group said the ship aimed to deliver aid and draw attention to the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. Israeli naval forces seized the vessel about 200 kilometers from the Gaza coast early Monday, escorting it to the port of Ashdod. Human rights groups and the flotilla’s organizers condemned the interception, calling it a violation of international law. Israel, however, insists the naval blockade on Gaza is legal and necessary to prevent arms smuggling.
In total, four people, including Thunberg and a journalist, were deported, while eight others refused and remained in Israeli detention pending a court hearing. Adalah, a legal group representing the detainees, said the activists should be released and allowed to proceed with their journey. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition argued the detentions were politically motivated and unlawful.
Among the passengers was Rima Hassan, a French European Parliament member of Palestinian descent, who has previously been denied entry to Israel due to her political stance. It remains unclear whether she was detained or deported. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot confirmed one French activist agreed to deportation, while five others refused and were visited by consular staff.
Sergio Toribio, a Spanish activist who was deported, criticized Israel upon arrival in Barcelona, calling the raid a “pirate attack in international waters.” Adalah emphasized that the Madleen was not headed to Israel but to the “territorial waters of the state of Palestine,” insisting the interception lacked legal basis and breached international humanitarian law. Amnesty International echoed that sentiment and demanded the immediate release of all detained activists.
Israel, on the other hand, dismissed the mission as a publicity stunt, dubbing the boat the “selfie yacht” and claiming it carried only a small amount of aid—less than a single truckload.
The confrontation comes amid the ongoing war in Gaza, now in its twentieth month, which began after Hamas-led militants launched a deadly attack on Israel on October 7, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Israel’s retaliatory campaign has killed over 54,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Vast areas of Gaza lie in ruins, with nearly 90% of its population displaced and entirely reliant on humanitarian aid.
Israel and Egypt have maintained a blockade on Gaza since 2007, citing security concerns, though critics argue it amounts to collective punishment. The seizure of the Madleen and the deportation of its passengers has further ignited global scrutiny over Israel’s actions and its handling of the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza.