Thunberg deported from Israel following seizure of Gaza-bound aid ship

Activist Greta Thunberg was deported from Israel on June 10, the country’s Foreign Ministry confirmed, following the seizure by the Israeli military of the Gaza-bound ship she was traveling on.

Thunberg, who is known for avoiding air travel, was photographed seated on a plane as she left Israel on a flight to France before continuing to her home country, Sweden, according to an official post on X by Israel’s Foreign Ministry, Caliber.Az reports.

The ship, named Madleen, was carrying 12 passengers and aid supplies intended for Gaza as part of a protest organised by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition against Israel’s ongoing war and to highlight the humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territory.

Israeli naval forces intercepted the vessel without incident early on June 9, about 200 kilometers off Gaza’s coast. The coalition and human rights organisations condemned the seizure as a violation of international law, a claim Israel denies, citing the legality of its naval blockade of Gaza.

A legal rights group in Israel, Adalah, which represents the activists, reported that Thunberg, along with two other activists and a journalist, agreed to be deported. The remaining eight activists refused deportation and were being held in detention, with their cases scheduled to be heard by Israeli authorities on June 10.

Sabine Haddad, spokesperson for Israel’s Interior Ministry, stated that those activists who agreed to deportation waived their right to appear before a judge. Those who refused would face a court hearing and could be held for up to 96 hours before deportation.

Among the volunteers was Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament of Palestinian descent, who has been barred from entering Israel due to her opposition to Israeli policies toward Palestinians. Her current status—whether detained or immediately deported—remains unclear.

Adalah challenged Israel’s authority to seize the ship, asserting that it was in international waters and en route to Palestinian territorial waters, not Israeli ones. Amnesty International condemned the naval raid, accusing Israel of violating international law and calling for the immediate and unconditional release of the activists.

Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz praised the operation on X, stating, “I congratulate the IDF on the swift and secure takeover of the 'Madlen' flotilla to prevent them from breaking the blockade and reaching the shores of Gaza.”

Israeli officials dismissed the flotilla as a “selfie yacht” publicity stunt, noting that the aid aboard amounted to less than a truckload of goods and described it as “meager.”

By Sabina Mammadli