Camilla Jessen
Greta Thunberg leaves Israel after detention.
Israel has confirmed that Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and more than 170 others have been deported after being detained while attempting to reach Gaza on the Global Sumud Flotilla.
Officials deny claims of mistreatment during her detention.
Gaza mission
Israel has issued a new statement following the detention of Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, who was intercepted with hundreds of others while trying to reach Gaza as part of the Global Sumud Flotilla.
This was reported by Newsner.
Greta Thunberg deported
Authorities confirmed on Monday, Oct. 6, that Thunberg and roughly 170 other participants have now been deported.
Photos released by Israeli officials show the 22-year-old activist in a gray sweatsuit and white T-shirt as she left the country under supervision.
According to multiple reports, Thunberg was flown to Athens, Greece, along with several other activists who were also detained.
Israel denies mistreatment claims
In its statement, Israel’s Foreign Ministry said that “all the legal rights of the participants in this PR stunt were and will continue to be fully upheld,” calling previous allegations of mistreatment part of a “pre-planned fake news campaign.”
Bedbugs and dehydration
The remarks came after reports surfaced that Thunberg and others had been kept in poor conditions, including a cell infested with bedbugs and limited access to food and water.
Correspondence obtained by The Guardian from Sweden’s foreign ministry described a consular visit in which an official reported that Thunberg had developed skin rashes — believed to be caused by bedbugs — and was suffering from dehydration.
Israel pushes back on reports
Israeli officials strongly rejected those claims, calling them “complete lies.”
In a statement, the country’s embassy said:
“All detainees from the Hamas-Sumud provocation were given access to water, food and toilets; they were not denied access to legal counsel, and all their legal rights, including access to medical care, were fully upheld.”
Background on the flotilla
The Global Sumud Flotilla — made up of more than 40 small vessels — carried over 400 activists, parliamentarians and lawyers from multiple countries.
Organizers said their mission was to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, where severe shortages of food and medicine have been reported amid the ongoing blockade.
The flotilla was intercepted by the Israeli Navy in international waters.
Thunberg and other participants were detained and held at Ketziot Prison in the Negev Desert before being deported.
Supporters condemn detention
Thunberg’s supporters have described her detention as “harsh” and “propaganda-like,” alleging that activists were pressured to participate in staged photos while in custody.
Israeli officials have denied these claims.
This article is made and published by Camilla Jessen, which may have used AI in the preparation
