Israel announced yesterday that 171 additional activists from the Global Solidarity Fleet, which was delivering aid to the Gaza Strip, have been deported, including Swedish activist Greta Thunberg. The Israeli Foreign Ministry stated on the platform X that these activists, including Thunberg, were sent from Israel to Greece and Slovakia, and they hold nationalities from several countries, including Greece, Italy, France, the United States, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
Thunberg was seen alongside two other women, dressed in grey attire that represents Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons, according to images released by the ministry, which did not specify the location of the images.
The ministry confirmed to reporters that 138 activists from the fleet remain in custody under Israeli authorities. The Greek Foreign Ministry announced that 161 of the additional 171 activists arrived at Athens International Airport. A brief statement indicated that a special flight landed in Athens carrying 27 Greek citizens who participated in the Global Solidarity Fleet along with 134 individuals from 15 European countries.
In related news, organizers of the aid fleet to Gaza claimed that participants faced both physical and verbal abuse. Lubna Touma, a lawyer representing the Global Solidarity Fleet, stated during a press conference streamed on Instagram that participants reported being detained with their hands bound behind their backs under harsh sunlight. She added that some were forced to kneel while being subjected to humiliation, with women particularly targeted for verbal degradation. One activist reported being kicked in the head. The Israeli Foreign Ministry rejected these allegations, labeling them as false and claiming that the rights of all pro-Palestinian activists were fully respected.
A spokesperson for the German Foreign Ministry in Berlin confirmed that 14 Germans are still among the activists detained in Israel. He explained that Israeli law requires detained individuals to be brought before a judge within 96 hours, adding, “We expect they will be deported to Germany shortly thereafter.”
While a legal expert committee supporting the Global Solidarity Fleet predicted that the remaining 15 Tunisians would be deported by Israeli authorities today, the British Foreign Ministry stated its support for British citizens detained in Israel as part of the fleet. A spokesperson from the ministry said, “We are assisting several British citizens held in Israel, and we are in contact with local authorities.”