Israel Deports Greta Thunberg and 170 Flotilla Activists Amid Controversy

Fri Oct 10 2025 16:27:18 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

The Israeli government has deported noted climate activist Greta Thunberg and over 170 other pro-Palestinian activists following the interception of a flotilla attempting to breach the naval blockade of Gaza. The deportations highlight ongoing tensions surrounding humanitarian aid to Gaza.

In a significant escalation of tensions, Israel has deported Greta Thunberg and 170 other activists who comprised the Global Sumud Flotilla. The activists were apprehended while trying to deliver aid to Gaza amidst allegations of illegal blockade and mistreatment during detention. This incident raises critical questions regarding humanitarian access in conflict zones and the broader implications for international law.

Israel has deported Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg and 170 other pro-Palestinian activists who were detained when Israeli forces intercepted a flotilla trying to breach its naval blockade of Gaza to deliver aid last week.

Thunberg raised her fist as she was presented with flowers and cheered by dozens of supporters who had gathered at Athens airport.

The Israeli foreign minister stated that the activists had been flown to Greece and Slovakia, with citizens from Greece, Slovakia, France, Italy, the UK, and the US among them.

Israel has also rejected as fake news allegations that the activists were mistreated and denied basic rights while in detention.

So far, the ministry has announced the deportations of 341 of the 479 people who were on board the 42 boats in the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF). The 138 other activists remain in detention in Israel, with over 40 confirmed to be on hunger strike.

The flotilla aimed to break the illegal siege on Gaza by sea, open a humanitarian corridor, and end the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people. Israeli authorities, however, argue that they maintain a legal blockade and termed the flotilla a publicity stunt due to the minimal aid cargo.

On arriving in Athens, Thunberg criticized the blockade, stating the GSF constituted the largest attempt to break an illegal and inhumane siege. She called the necessity of such a mission a shame, highlighting global solidarity against what many see as governmental failure.

Amidst serious accusations of rights abuses during detention, including reports of physical and mental abuse, Israel maintains that legal rights of the deported activists were upheld and labels the claims as part of a pre-planned disinformation campaign.

This incident is part of a wider humanitarian crisis in Gaza, exacerbated by ongoing Israeli military actions and a blockade that many argue contravenes international humanitarian law. The UN and various humanitarian organizations have called for an urgent lift of this blockade to allow humanitarian aid access.