Greta Thunberg, 170 Activists Deported from Israel After Gaza Flotilla Interception
Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and 170 other participants in the Global Sumud Flotilla were deported from Israel to Greece and Slovakia yesterday, according to the Israeli Foreign Ministry.
Photos released by the ministry show Thunberg and other deportees at Ramon International Airport in southern Israel, dressed in prison-issue gray sweatsuits and white t-shirts. The deportees represent 19 nationalities, including Greece, Italy, France, Ireland, Sweden, the United States, and the United Kingdom. This deportation brings the total number of Sumud flotilla activists deported by Israel to 341, with 138 still remaining in custody.
Several detainees have alleged mistreatment during their detention, with Spanish lawyer Rafael Borrego claiming, “They beat us, dragged us along the ground, blindfolded us, tied our hands and feet, put us in cages and insulted us,” upon their arrival in Spain. Israeli officials maintain that “all the legal rights of the participants…were and will continue to be fully upheld,” and attribute claims of abuse to a “pre-planned fake news campaign.” One Spanish activist was detained after allegedly biting a medical staffer at Ketziot Prison and will remain in police custody until at least Wednesday. The Sumud flotilla aimed to challenge Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza, a policy enacted in 2007 following Hamas’s takeover of the territory.
Israel intercepted 42 vessels associated with the Sumud flotilla last week, characterizing the mission as a pro-Hamas stunt. A new nine-boat flotilla organized by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition is also expected to approach Gaza soon, currently traveling north of Egypt’s Alexandria. The ongoing attempts to deliver aid by sea highlight the desperate humanitarian situation in Gaza, where a UN report in August declared parts of northern Gaza were experiencing famine conditions.
Israeli officials stated they will continue to uphold the legal rights of those involved, while a new flotilla is anticipated to be intercepted by the Israeli Navy in the coming days.
