Israel has deported Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and 170 other pro-Palestinian campaigners detained after Israeli forces intercepted a flotilla attempting to breach its naval blockade of Gaza last week.
A photo released by Israel’s foreign ministry showed Thunberg walking through Ben Gurion Airport before boarding a flight out of the country. The ministry said the activists were flown to Greece and Slovakia, including citizens from Greece, Slovakia, France, Italy, the UK, and the United States.
As Thunberg arrived in Athens, she was greeted with flowers and cheers from dozens of supporters. Raising her fist, she described the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) as “the biggest ever attempt to break Israel’s illegal and inhumane siege by sea.”
“It was a story of global, international solidarity,” she told reporters. “Of people stepping up when our governments failed to do so… This mission has to exist — that it even has to exist is a shame.”
The Israeli foreign ministry dismissed accusations of mistreatment as “fake news,” insisting that the activists’ rights “were and will continue to be fully upheld.” The ministry also said the only violent incident involved a Spanish citizen who bit a female medical worker during a pre-deportation examination at Ketziot Prison.
So far, Israeli authorities have deported 341 of the 479 activists who were aboard the 42 boats making up the flotilla. Another 138 remain in detention, with the GSF reporting that more than 40 are on hunger strike.
The flotilla, which set sail from Barcelona late last month, aimed to “break the illegal siege on Gaza by sea, open a humanitarian corridor, and end the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people.” Organizers said Israel’s interception violated international maritime and humanitarian law.
Israel, however, said it was enforcing a legal blockade and described the voyage as a “publicity stunt,” noting that the flotilla carried only about two tons of aid in total.
Reports of abuse emerged as deported activists arrived home. In Madrid, Spanish activist Rafael Borrego alleged “repeated physical and mental abuse,” claiming they were beaten, dragged, blindfolded, tied, and insulted while in custody. Nine Swiss nationals returning to Geneva also accused Israel of “inhumane detention conditions and degrading treatment.”
Greece’s foreign ministry confirmed Thunberg was among 161 citizens of 16 European countries flown to Athens on Monday. Slovakia said it received 10 others on a separate flight.
The flotilla’s mission coincided with warnings from the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), which recently declared a famine in Gaza City. The IPC warned that hunger could soon spread to central and southern Gaza. According to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, at least 460 Palestinians have died from malnutrition since the war began, including 182 deaths since the famine declaration.
The United Nations has urged Israel to lift the blockade and allow life-saving aid into Gaza, reminding Israel of its obligation under international law as the occupying power to ensure adequate food and medical supplies. Israel disputes both the IPC’s findings and Gaza’s casualty figures, denying allegations of genocide.
The ongoing war began after Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. According to Gaza’s health ministry, at least 67,160 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes since the conflict began.
