Israel deports Greta Thunberg after Gaza-bound ship she was on was seized

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel deported activist Greta Thunberg on Tuesday, a day after the Gaza-bound ship she was on was seized by the Israeli military.

Speaking upon arrival in Paris en route to her home country of Sweden, Thunberg called for the release of the other activists who were detained aboard the Madleen. She described a “quite chaotic and uncertain” situation during the detention.

The conditions they faced “are absolutely nothing compared to what people are going through in Palestine and especially Gaza right now,” she said. The trip was meant to protest Israeli restrictions on aid to Gaza’s population of over 2 million people after 20 months of war, according to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the group behind the journey.

“We were well aware of the risks of this mission,” Thunberg said. “The aim was to get to Gaza and to be able to distribute the aid.” She said the activists would continue trying to get aid to Gaza.

On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump called Thunberg “a young angry person” and recommended she take anger management classes.

“I think the world need a lot more young angry women,” Thunberg said Tuesday in response.

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Thunberg said it appeared she was headed back to Sweden, hadn’t had access to a phone in a few days and wanted a shower. The activists were held separately and some had trouble accessing lawyers, she added.

Asked why she agreed to deportation, she said, “Why would I want to stay in an Israeli prison more than necessary?”

Thunberg called on supporters to ask their governments “to demand not only humanitarian aid being let into Gaza but most importantly an end to the occupation and an end to the systemic oppression and violence that Palestinians are facing on an everyday basis.”

She said recognizing Palestine is “the very, very, very minimum” that governments can do to help.

Other activists face deportation

Thunberg was one of 12 passengers on the Madleen. Israeli naval forces seized the boat without incident early Monday about 200 kilometers (125 miles) off Gaza.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, along with rights groups, said Israel’s actions in international waters were a violation of international law. Israel rejects that charge, saying such ships intend to breach what it argues is a lawful naval blockade of Gaza.

Israel viewed the ship as a publicity stunt, calling it the “selfie yacht” with a “meager” amount of aid that amounted to less than a truckload.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition said three activists, including Thunberg, had been deported along with a journalist. It said it had encouraged some to do it so they could speak freely about their experiences.

“Their detention is unlawful, politically motivated and a direct violation of international law,” the coalition said in a statement. Eight other passengers refused deportation and are being detained at Givon prison in Ramle. On Tuesday, Israeli authorities heard their cases at a detention tribunal.

“We argued today, and that also was emphasized by all the activists, that their goal is to enter humanitarian aid to Gaza, to end the famine and to end a genocide in Gaza,” said Lubna Tuma, a lawyer with legal rights group Adalah, who is representing the activists. “Any violation or any prohibition to entering the humanitarian aid to Gaza is deepening the complicity of Israel in the famine in Gaza.”

Legal representatives for the group said that because Israeli seized their vessel in international waters and forcibly transported them to Israeli territory, Israel had no authority to detain or deport them.

‘Pirate attack’

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. The others have a hearing with the judge 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 among the passengers. 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 one of the detained French activists signed an expulsion order and would leave Tuesday. The other five refused. He said all the activists received consular visits.

Sergio Toribio, a Spanish activist, 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.

Blockade of Gaza

Palestinians in Gaza are now almost completely dependent on international aid.

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 asserts that Hamas siphons off the aid to bolster its rule.

Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that ignited the war and took 251 hostages, most released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Hamas still holds 55 hostages, more than half 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 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.

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Associated Press writers Angela Charlton in Paris, Teresa Medrano in Madrid, Melanie Lidman in Jerusalem and Tia Goldenberg in Tel Aviv, Israel, contributed to this report.

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Follow AP’s war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war