JERUSALEM – Israeli authorities have begun deporting more than 70 foreign activists, among them Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, after stopping a large flotilla bound for Gaza.
The Israeli Navy intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters last week, seized all 40 boats, and detained those on board for trying to break Israel’s long-running naval blockade of the Gaza Strip.
Nearly 500 participants from over 50 countries took part, including lawmakers from Spain and Italy. The convoy left Spain in late September with symbolic shipments of food, medicine, and basic supplies for civilians in Gaza.
Organizers called the voyage a peaceful protest against the blockade, in place since 2007 to stop weapons reaching Hamas. Israeli officials dismissed the flotilla as a “Hamas-orchestrated provocation,” citing intelligence that they say links the effort to the group.
Thunberg, 22, travelled on the lead boat, Alma. Video released by Israel’s Foreign Ministry showed her seated on deck as naval commandos boarded in rough seas, with officers offering water and a jacket.
“Greta and her friends are safe and healthy,” the ministry posted on X, adding that the activists would not face criminal charges beyond deportation for breaching maritime restrictions in an active war zone.
By Monday, Thunberg and many others, including Italian and Turkish citizens, were on flights to Greece and Turkey. Officials expect the remaining deportations to finish by mid-week.
The operation drew sharp criticism abroad. Turkey called the seizures an “act of terrorism,” and protests spread from Istanbul to Rome. Thunberg’s role has also sparked fierce debate. Israeli officials and pro-Israel groups accuse her of echoing Hamas messaging and crossing into antisemitic rhetoric.
Greta Thunberg’s Activism Under Scrutiny
Thunberg rose to fame for school strikes on climate change. Since the 7 October 2023 Hamas attacks that killed more than 1,200 people and triggered the current war, she has focused more on advocacy for Palestinians.
Her recent actions, including joining rallies where “crush Zionism” was chanted and co-authoring an op-ed accusing Israel of “genocide,” have fuelled claims that she promotes antisemitic ideas under the cover of humanitarian concern.
She was first detained in June 2025 during a smaller Freedom Flotilla attempt. Defence Minister Israel Katz ordered deportees to view footage of the 7 October killings, and mocked the mission as a “selfie yacht” for Hamas sympathizers.
Thunberg returned for the larger Sumud flotilla. In a Sky News interview before departure, she rejected accusations of antisemitism. “It is not antisemitic to say that we should not be bombing people,” she said, casting her stance as opposition to occupation and support for Palestinian rights.
Critics see a troubling pattern. B’nai B’rith said her activism is “discredited,” citing selective imagery on social media, such as a deleted October 2023 photo that included a plush octopus, which some read as an antisemitic symbol. They also fault her for not clearly denouncing the Hamas charter, which calls for Israel’s destruction.
Israeli officials have gone further, branding her a “Hamas propaganda spokesperson” and accusing her of playing down Hamas’s role in Gaza’s hardship, including diversion of aid and attacks on aid workers. One supporter on X wrote, “Hope Greta and her friends can swim!”, echoing an earlier remark by US Senator Lindsey Graham that drew heavy criticism.
Thunberg dismissed such jibes after her deportation. She said Israel’s blockade is the real “propaganda,” and argued it deepens hunger in Gaza despite repeated UN warnings of a humanitarian emergency.
Claims of Hamas Links and Funding the Gaza Flotilla
Israel’s case for stopping the Gaza flotilla centres on alleged ties to Hamas. The IDF says documents recovered in Gaza, bearing the signature of former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and naming figures from the Palestinian Conference for Palestinians Abroad (PCPA), show direct involvement in the flotilla’s funding and planning. Israel labels PCPA a Hamas front.
According to the Foreign Ministry, organizers such as UK-based Zaher Birawi and Spanish activist Saif Abu Kashak, CEO of Cyber Neptune, which owns many of the boats, are senior Hamas affiliates.
Officials argue that these links turn a “humanitarian” mission into a political project designed to bolster Hamas and weaken Israel’s security. Flotilla spokespeople reject the allegations, call the papers “fabricated,” and say the effort was funded by grassroots donors worldwide.
The blockade remains a core dispute. Israel says it is vital to limit rocket fire and stop arms smuggling by Hamas. Critics, including UN rapporteurs, describe it as collective punishment while more than two million people in Gaza face acute food insecurity.
As removals proceed, complaints about treatment in custody have emerged. Thunberg told Swedish diplomats she was held in a cell with pests, given little food, and forced to pose with Israeli flags. Other detainees, including a Turkish journalist, claimed rough handling, such as being dragged along the ground. Israel’s embassy called the claims “complete lies,” insisting all detainees received legal and medical support.
The failed convoy recalls earlier attempts to reach Gaza by sea, including the deadly Mavi Marmara raid in 2010. Thunberg says she will keep campaigning. “I don’t think anyone would risk their life for a publicity stunt,” she said, arguing the mission was about saving lives, not headlines.
Italian MP Arturo Scotto summed up the mood among participants on arrival in Rome. “Those who acted legally were on the boats; those who prevented aid from reaching Gaza acted illegally.” Whether the flotilla shifts global opinion or hardens divides is still unclear in a conflict with no end in sight.
