Israel deports Greta Thunberg after Gaza-bound ship she was on was seized
JERUSALEM — 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.
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.
Hamas-led terrorists 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’s Hamas-run Health Ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday there is “meaningful progress” on a possible ceasefire deal that would also return some of the 55 hostages still being held in Gaza, but said it was “too early to hope.” Foreign Minister Gideon Saar also mentioned Tuesday that there was progress in ceasefire negotiations.
Netanyahu was meeting with the Israeli negotiating team and the defense minister Tuesday evening to discuss next steps.
On Monday, 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.
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 was one of 12 passengers on the Madleen. Israeli naval forces seized the boat without incident early Monday about 125 miles off 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.
During the 20-month-long war in Gaza, Israel has restricted and sometimes blocked all aid into the territory. Israel asserts that Hamas siphons off the aid to bolster its rule.
Palestinians desperately trying to access aid in Gaza came under fire again on Tuesday, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition said three activists, including Thunberg, had been deported along with a journalist.
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.
Elsewhere, Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway said Tuesday they have imposed sanctions on two Israeli government ministers for allegedly “inciting extremist violence” against Palestinians in the West Bank.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, key partners in Netanyahu’s coalition, are champions of Israeli settlement who support continuing the war in Gaza, facilitating what they call the voluntary emigration of its Palestinian population and the rebuilding of Jewish settlements there.
They could now face asset freezes and travel bans.
Smotrich wrote on social media that he learned of the sanctions while he was inaugurating a new West Bank settlement. “We are determined to continue building,” he said.
Ben-Gvir, also writing on social media, said “we overcame Pharoah, we’ll overcome Starmer’s Wall,” referring to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Israel’s government condemned the announcement. Saar called the sanctions decision “outrageous.” He said he had discussed it with Netanyahu and they would meet next week to discuss Israel’s response.
He said that the move threatened to harden Hamas’ stance in ongoing negotiations to end the war in Gaza and to cut short Israel’s operation in Gaza before it achieves its goals.
Meanwhile, Israel’s navy attacked docks in Yemen’s terrorist-held port city of Hodeida on Tuesday, launching its first seaborne assault against the Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists while warning more could come.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned his country’s “long arm in the air and at sea will reach everywhere.”
“We warned the Houthi terror organization that if they continue to fire at Israel they will face a powerful response and enter a naval and air blockade,” he said.
But on Tuesday night, Israel’s military said “a missile launched from Yemen was most likely intercepted” as explosions could be heard in Jerusalem, likely from interceptor fire. The Houthis did not immediately claim the attack, though their supporters highlighted the incident.