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Al Arabiya
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Israel deports Greta Thunberg after Gaza-bound ship was seized
Activist Greta Thunberg was deported from Israel on Tuesday, the country's Foreign Ministry said, a day after the Gaza-bound ship she was on was seized by the Israeli military. Thunberg left on a flight to France and was then headed to her home country of Sweden, Israel's Foreign Ministry said in a post on X. It posted a photo of Thunberg, who shuns air travel, seated on a plane. Thunberg was one of 12 passengers on the Madleen, a ship carrying aid to Gaza that was meant to protest Israel's ongoing war there and shed light on the humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territory, according to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the group behind the journey. Israeli naval forces seized the boat without incident early Monday about 200 kilometers (125 miles) off of Gaza's coast, according to the coalition, which along with rights groups, said Israel's actions were a violation of international law. Israel rejects that charge because it says such ships intend to breach what it says is a lawful naval blockade of Gaza. The boat, accompanied by Israel's navy, arrived in the Israeli port of Ashdod Monday evening, according to Israel's Foreign Ministry. Adalah, a legal rights group in Israel representing the activists, said Thunberg, two other activists and a journalist had agreed to be deported and leave Israel. The other eight activists refused deportation, were being held in detention and their case was set to be heard by Israeli authorities, Adalah said. The activists were expected to be brought before a court later Tuesday, the group added. Sabine Haddad, a spokeswoman for Israel's Interior Ministry, said the activists who were being deported Tuesday had waived their right to appear before a judge. Those who did not will face one and will be held for 96 hours before being deported. Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament who is of Palestinian descent, was also among the volunteers on board. She has been barred from entering Israel because of her opposition to Israeli policies toward the Palestinians. It was not immediately clear whether she was being immediately deported or detained. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Tuesday that one of the detained French activists signed an expulsion order and will leave Israel on Tuesday for France. The other five refused. He said all the activists received consular visits. On Monday, Adalah, the rights group, said that Israel had 'no legal authority' to take over the ship, because the group said it was in international waters and it was headed not to Israel but to the 'territorial waters of the state of Palestine.' Amnesty International said Israel was flouting international law with the naval raid and called on Israel to release the activists immediately and unconditionally. 'The arrest of the unarmed activists, who operated in a civilian manner to provide humanitarian aid, amounts to a serious breach of international law,' Adalah said in a statement. Israel viewed the ship as a publicity stunt, calling it the 'selfie yacht.' Israeli officials said that the flotilla was bringing 'meager' aid with what amounted to less than a truckload of goods.
CBS News
3 hours ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Israel deports activist Greta Thunberg after military seized Gaza Freedom Flotilla ship
Jerusalem — Israel deported activist Greta Thunberg on Tuesday, the country's Foreign Ministry said, a day after the Gaza-bound ship she was on with 11 other people was seized by the Israeli military. Thunberg left on a flight to France and was then headed to her home country of Sweden, the Foreign Ministry said in a post on X. It posted a photo of Thunberg, a climate activist who shuns air travel, seated on a plane. Thunberg was one of 12 passengers on the Madleen, a ship carrying aid to Gaza with a mission to protest Israel's ongoing war there and shed light on the humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territory, according to the organizers, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition. Israeli naval forces seized the boat without incident early Monday about 125 miles off of Gaza's coast, according to the coalition, which, along with rights groups, condemned Israel's actions as a violation of international law. Israel rejects that charge because it says such ships intend to breach what it argues is its military's lawful naval blockade of Gaza. The boat, accompanied by Israel's navy, arrived in the Israeli port of Ashdod Monday evening, according to the Foreign Ministry. Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg talks to journalists upon her arrival at Roissy-Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, France, after she was deported by Israel following her detention by Israeli forces, along with other activists who were aboard a Gaza-bound aid boat, June 10, 2025. HUGO MATHY/AFP/Getty The Freedom Flotilla Coalition said three activists, including Thunberg, had been deported along with a journalist. It said it had encouraged some of the group to do this so they could speak freely about their experiences. Eight other passengers refused deportation and were being held in detention before their case is to be heard by Israeli authorities. Adalah, a legal rights group in Israel representing the activists, said the eight were expected to be brought before a court later Tuesday. "Their detention is unlawful, politically motivated and a direct violation of international law," the coalition said in a statement. It called for the remaining passengers to be released without deportation and said their lawyers would demand that they be allowed to complete their journey to Gaza. Sabine Haddad, a spokeswoman for Israel's Interior Ministry, said the activists who were being deported Tuesday had waived their right to appear before a judge. Those who did not will face one and will be held for 96 hours before being deported, she said. Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament who is of Palestinian descent, was also among the passengers on board the Madleen. She has previously been barred from entering Israel because of her opposition to Israeli policies toward the Palestinians. It was not clear whether she was being immediately deported or detained. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Tuesday that one of the detained French activists signed an expulsion order and will leave Israel on Tuesday for France. The other five refused. He said all the activists received consular visits. Sergio Toribio, a Spanish activist who was deported, slammed Israel's actions after he arrived in Barcelona. Spanish activist Sergio Toribio arrives in Barcelona, Spain, from Tel-Aviv, at El Prat de Llobregat airport, June 10, 2025, after being deported by Israeli authorities. Kike Rincon/Europa Press/Getty "It is unforgivable, it is a violation of our rights. It is a pirate attack in international waters," Toribio told reporters. On Monday, Adalah, the rights group, said that Israel had "no legal authority" to take over the ship, because the group said it was in international waters and it was headed not to Israel but to the "territorial waters of the state of Palestine." "The arrest of the unarmed activists, who operated in a civilian manner to provide humanitarian aid, amounts to a serious breach of international law," Adalah said in a statement. Amnesty International said Israel was flouting international law with the naval raid and called on the country to release the activists immediately and unconditionally. Israel said its actions were consistent with international law. Israel viewed the ship as a publicity stunt, calling it the "selfie yacht." Israeli officials said that the flotilla was bringing "meager" aid with what amounted to less than a truckload of goods. The Flotilla has made it clear that its repeated attempts to reach the Palestinian territory by sea with vessels carrying aid and activists are aimed as much at raising awareness of the Israeli blockade as they are about getting any food into the enclave. Israel and Egypt have imposed varying degrees of a blockade on Gaza since Hamas seized power from rival Palestinian forces in 2007. Israel says the blockade is needed to prevent Hamas from importing arms, while critics say it amounts to collective punishment of Gaza's Palestinian population. Palestinians carry cans filled with water in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, June 8, 2025. Abed Rahim Khatib/Anadolu/Getty During the 20-month-long war in Gaza sparked by the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack, Israel has restricted and sometimes blocked all aid into the territory, including food, fuel and medicine. Experts say that policy has pushed Gaza toward famine. Israel says Hamas siphons off the aid to bolster its rule. The Oct. 7 Hamas-led terrorist attack killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in southern Israel, and saw 251 others taken hostage into Gaza, most of whom have since been released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Hamas is still holding 55 hostages, but only about 20 are still believed to be alive. Israel's military campaign has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health, which doesn't distinguish between civilians and combatants but has said that women and children make up most of the dead. The war has destroyed vast areas of Gaza and displaced around 90% of the territory's population, with many people being forced to flee multiple times. The entire population is almost completely dependent on international aid.
Daily Mail
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Greta reportedly refused to watch footage of October 7 atrocities
Greta Thunberg is now on a plane out of Israel along with three other 'freedom flotilla' activists deported after they reportedly refused to watch footage of Hamas atrocities carried out on October 7, 2023 in Israel. The crew of the Madleen ship, who had planned to sail to Gaza to deliver aid, were scooped up by Israeli Navy boats well before they reached shore yesterday and towed to the port of Ashdod. Eight of the 12 activists refused to sign deportation papers and are being detained pending a court hearing. Thunberg and three others signed the documents and are now on a flight out of Israel. Greta will fly to France alongside French activists before heading home to Sweden. 'I do more good outside of Israel than if I am forced to stay here for a few weeks,' she said, according to Moatasem Zedan, a spokesperson for the human rights group Adalah who is providing legal representation to the activists. Israel's Foreign Ministry shared a photo of the disgruntled 22-year-old sitting on board the plane moments before the flight departed Israel's Ben Gurion airport. Prior to her deportation, Defence Minister Israel Katz said he'd instructed IDF officials to show the activists the full, unedited footage of the October 7 attacks as recorded by Hamas terrorist body cameras. 'It is appropriate that the anti-Semitic Greta and her fellow Hamas supporters see exactly who the Hamas terrorist organization they came to support and for whom they work is, what atrocities they committed against women, the elderly, and children, and against whom Israel is fighting to defend itself,' he said. Later last night, he told reporters: 'Greta and her flotilla companions were taken into a room upon their arrival to the screening of the horror film of the October 7 massacre... when they saw what it was about, they refused to continue watching. The anti-Semitic flotilla members are turning a blind eye to the truth and have proven once again that they prefer the murderers to the murdered and continue to ignore the atrocities committed by Hamas against Jewish and Israeli women, adults, and children.' Katz and other Israeli officials have come under fire for branding Thunberg and her fellow activists 'anti-Semitic' for wanting to deliver aid to starving Gazans. But Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer said: 'This wasn't humanitarian aid. It's Instagram activism... 'Who's really feeding Gaza and who's really feeding their own ego? Greta was not bringing aid, she was bringing herself.' The voyage of the Madleen from the Italian island of Sicily to Gaza was planned by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), an organisation founded shortly after October 7, 2023 to raise awareness of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The activists had set out to protest Israel's military campaign in the embattled territory, which it claims amounts to genocide, and Israel's restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid. Israel's military operations and aid blockades have put the territory of around 2 million Palestinians at risk of famine. The FFC said the activists were 'kidnapped by Israeli forces' while trying to deliver desperately needed aid on Monday. 'The ship was unlawfully boarded, its unarmed civilian crew abducted and its life-saving cargo - including baby formula, food and medical supplies - confiscated,' it said in a statement. It added the ship was seized in international waters about 200 kilometres (120 miles) from Gaza, and Adalah - a legal rights group representing the activists - asserted that Israel had 'no legal authority' to take it over. The Madleen was said to have been shadowed by speedboats and drones before 'quadcopters' surrounded and sprayed the ship with an unidentified 'white irritant substance', shortly before the IDF seized it. Israel's Foreign Ministry meanwhile has portrayed the voyage as nothing more than a publicity stunt, referring to the Madleen as 'the selfie yacht'. It circulated footage of what appeared to be Israeli military personnel handing out sandwiches and water to the activists, who were wearing life vests, after the ship was intercepted adrift in the Mediterranean. A statement shared on X early this morning read: 'Some of the 'Selfie Yacht' passengers are expected to leave within the next few hours. 'Those who refuse to sign deportation documents and leave Israel will be brought before a judicial authority, in accordance with Israeli law, to authorize their deportation. Consuls from the passengers' home countries met them at the airport.' Other footage released on Instagram by the FFC appeared to show the crew of the Madleen tossing their phones and laptops into the water prior to being boarded. In the wake of the Madleen's seizure by Israeli forces, a pre-recorded message of Thunberg was shared on social media by the FFC. 'If you see this video, we have been intercepted and kidnapped in international waters by the Israeli occupational forces, or forces that support Israel,' she said. 'I urge all my friends, family and comrades to put pressure on the Swedish government to release me and the others as soon as possible.' But her request was snubbed by Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard, who said the crew and passengers aboard the Madleen were aware of the risks of their journey. Stenergard said the ministry's assessment is that no one was in danger and there was no need for consular support, according to Swedish outlet TT. 'A great responsibility rests on those who choose to travel contrary to the advice given to a place,' she said outside the Swedish parliament, as protestors gathered in Stockholm to demand an intervention. The minister lamented that, as a result of Greta's plea, the consular hotline had received a high volume of calls that meant Swedes 'in need' abroad were being held in long queues for assistance. 'It is quite dangerous to run a campaign that means that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' consular hotline is called down,' she said, adding: 'The consequence is that Swedes in need abroad have to wait in line for far too long.' Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament who is of Palestinian descent, was among six French citizens those on board. She has been barred from entering Israel because of her opposition to Israeli policies toward the Palestinians. French President Emmanuel Macron, who has openly opposed Israel's actions in Gaza, called for consular protection and the repatriation of the French citizens. 'Most of all, France calls for a ceasefire as quickly as possible and the lifting of the humanitarian blockade. This is a scandal, unacceptable, that is playing out in Gaza. What's been happening since early March is a disgrace, a disgrace,' Macron said. Next week, Macron is set to co-host a conference at the UN on a two-state solution and recently said France should move toward recognising a Palestinian state, drawing outrage from Israeli officials. US President Donald Trump also weighed in on the issue last night. When asked about the Freedom Flotilla and Thunberg's activism at a White House press conference yesterday, the President suggested the Swede needs to calm down. 'I think she has to go to anger management class. That's my primary recommendation for her.' Trump described the climate activist as a 'young, angry person,' but added, 'I don't know if it's real anger.' The interception of the Freedom Flotilla by Israeli boats yesterday triggered widespread protests. In London , demonstrators gathered outside the FCDO offices in Whitehall to call on the country to protect the crew of the British-flagged ship. One held a sign that read: 'Israel attacks UK boat. UK does nothing.' Images emerged last night showing the deck of the charity vessel splattered with an unidentified white liquid. Activist Yasmin Acar, among those on board, said it had been deployed by Israel and was affecting her eyes. Huwaida Arraf, the co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement, also told Al Jazeera that crew members had said their eyes were burning from the substance. 'We don't know what that chemical was. Some people reported that their eyes were burning,' they said. Defence Minister Katz insisted no one aboard the ship was harmed and congratulated the military on its 'quick and safe takeover' of the ship. The crew on board the Madleen sailed towards Gaza in an effort to raise awareness of the deepening humanitarian crisis. Israel imposed a blockade on supplies - including food and medicine - into the Palestinian enclave on March 2, and limited aid only began to enter again late last month after pressure from allies and warnings of famine. ActionAid had reported in April that the price of flour in Gaza had soared to $300 a bag after more than 50 days without new aid deliveries. More than 3,700 children were newly admitted for treatment for acute malnutrition in March alone, it said, an 80 per cent rise on the previous month, per UNOCHA. Still, most people in Gaza are surviving on just a single meal per day, consisting mostly of pasta, rice or canned food. Humanitarian workers and experts have warned of famine unless the blockade is lifted and Israel ends its military offensive. Nine tenths of the population have been displaced by 21 months of war, with Israel now pursuing a new major offensive in the strip. Israel and Egypt have imposed varying degrees of blockade on Gaza since Hamas seized power from rival Palestinian forces in 2007. Israel says the blockade is needed to prevent Hamas from importing arms, while critics say it amounts to collective punishment of Gaza's Palestinian population. But it is facing mounting international pressure to allow more aid into Gaza to alleviate widespread shortages of food and basic supplies. It recently allowed humanitarian deliveries to resume after barring them for more than two months and began working with the newly formed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a shadowy US-backed organisation. But humanitarian agencies have criticised the GHF and the United Nations refuses to work with it, citing concerns over its practices and neutrality. Dozens of people have been killed near GHF distribution points since late May, according to Gaza's civil defence agency. In May, another Freedom Flotilla ship, the Conscience, was damaged in international waters off Malta as it headed to Gaza, with the activists saying they suspected an Israeli drone attack. A 2010 Israeli commando raid on the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara, which was part of a similar attempt to breach the naval blockade, left 10 civilians dead.
Globe and Mail
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Globe and Mail
Israel deports Greta Thunberg after military seizure of Gaza-bound aid ship she was on
Israel deported activist Greta Thunberg on Tuesday, the country's Foreign Ministry said, a day after the Gaza-bound ship she was on was seized by the Israeli military. Thunberg left on a flight to France and was then headed to her home country of Sweden, the Foreign Ministry said in a post on X. It posted a photo of Thunberg, a climate activist who shuns air travel, seated on a plane. Thunberg was one of 12 passengers on the Madleen, a ship carrying aid to Gaza that was meant to protest Israel's ongoing war there and shed light on the humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territory, according to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the group behind the journey. Israeli naval forces seized the boat without incident early Monday about 200 kilometers (125 miles) off of Gaza's coast, according to the coalition, which along with rights groups, said Israel's actions were a violation of international law. Israel rejects that charge because it says such ships intend to breach what it argues is a lawful naval blockade of Gaza. The boat, accompanied by Israel's navy, arrived in the Israeli port of Ashdod Monday evening, according to the Foreign Ministry. Adalah, a legal rights group in Israel representing the activists, said Thunberg, two other activists and a journalist had agreed to be deported and leave Israel. The other eight activists refused deportation, were being held in detention and their case was set to be heard by Israeli authorities, Adalah said. The activists were expected to be brought before a court later Tuesday, the group added. Sabine Haddad, a spokeswoman for Israel's Interior Ministry, said the activists who were being deported Tuesday had waived their right to appear before a judge. Those who did not will face one and will be held for 96 hours before being deported, she said. Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament who is of Palestinian descent, was also among the passengers on board the Madleen. She has previously been barred from entering Israel because of her opposition to Israeli policies toward the Palestinians. It was not clear whether she was being immediately deported or detained. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Tuesday that one of the detained French activists signed an expulsion order and will leave Israel on Tuesday for France. The other five refused. He said all the activists received consular visits. Sergio Toribio, a Spanish activist who was deported, slammed Israel's actions after he arrived in Barcelona. 'It is unforgivable, it is a violation of our rights. It is a pirate attack in international waters,' he told reporters. On Monday, Adalah, the rights group, said that Israel had 'no legal authority' to take over the ship, because the group said it was in international waters and it was headed not to Israel but to the 'territorial waters of the state of Palestine.' 'The arrest of the unarmed activists, who operated in a civilian manner to provide humanitarian aid, amounts to a serious breach of international law,' Adalah said in a statement. Amnesty International said Israel was flouting international law with the naval raid and called on Israel to release the activists immediately and unconditionally. Israel said its actions were consistent with international law. Israel viewed the ship as a publicity stunt, calling it the 'selfie yacht.' Israeli officials said that the flotilla was bringing 'meager' aid with what amounted to less than a truckload of goods. Israel and Egypt have imposed varying degrees of a blockade on Gaza since Hamas seized power from rival Palestinian forces in 2007. Israel says the blockade is needed to prevent Hamas from importing arms, while critics say it amounts to collective punishment of Gaza's Palestinian population. During the 20-month-long war in Gaza, Israel has restricted and sometimes blocked all aid into the territory, including food, fuel and medicine. Experts say that policy has pushed Gaza toward famine. Israel says Hamas siphons off the aid to bolster its rule. Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in the Oct. 7 attack that ignited the war and took 251 hostages, most of whom have since been released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Hamas is still holding 55 hostages, more than half of them believed to be dead. Israel's military campaign has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which doesn't distinguish between civilians and combatants but has said that women and children make up most of the dead. The war has destroyed vast areas of Gaza and displaced around 90% of the territory's population, leaving people there almost completely dependent on international aid.
Russia Today
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Israel deports Greta Thunberg (PHOTOS)
Israeli authorities have deported Swedish activist Greta Thunberg following her detention aboard a Gaza-bound civilian vessel. Thunberg and three other individuals were flown out of the country early on Tuesday, hours after their boat was forced to dock at the port of Ashdod. According to officials, the four activists voluntarily agreed to leave Israel, while eight others refused and were subsequently transferred to a detention facility. Activists remaining in custody face involuntary deportation after 96 hours. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which organized the maritime campaign, had anticipated the outcome in its public messaging. Photos released by Israel's Foreign Ministry appeared to show Thunberg aboard a plane departing from Ben Gurion Airport, reportedly en route to Sweden via France. The vessel, named Madleen and dubbed the 'selfie yacht' by West Jerusalem, was intercepted on Monday by the Israeli Navy in international waters. Among the passengers were French Member of the European Parliament Rima Hassan and Irish actor Liam Cunningham. Unlike previous confrontations with Gaza-bound flotillas, no injuries were reported. Greta Thunberg just departed Israel on a flight to Sweden (via France). The flotilla effort is part of a long-running campaign to challenge Israel's naval blockade of Gaza, which has been in place since 2007. Similar attempts date back to 2010, when nine activists were killed during an Israeli commando raid, while a tenth passenger subsequently died in hospital from injuries. The latest mission coincided with ongoing Israeli military operations in Gaza, which began after a deadly incursion by militants from Palestinian group Hamas in October 2023. Critics of the Israeli response have described the campaign as excessively violent and accused West Jerusalem of committing genocide. BREAKING: Press statement by Gaza Freedom Flotilla:"We have just received confirmation that all 12 volunteers from the 'Madleen' are currently at Ashdod Port. They are being processed and transferred into the custody of Israeli authorities. They are expected to be moved to the… Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israeli authorities attempted to show Thunberg and other detainees a documentary about the Hamas attack, but they declined. Katz called the group 'anti-Semitic flotilla members' and accused them of ignoring the realities of Palestinian actions. Thunberg, who gained global recognition for her climate change activism as a child, has recently been vocal in her support for the Palestinian cause. She called on the Swedish government to denounce the 'kidnapping' of the Madleen passengers. However, Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard stated that the activists were 'not in danger' while in Israeli custody and did not require assistance.
