Israel Deports Greta Thunberg and 171 Activists from “Global Samoud Flotilla”

TEL AVIV (International Desk) – Israel has deported 171 activists, including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, who were detained while attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza as part of the Global Samoud Flotilla mission.

According to Israel’s Foreign Ministry, the deported individuals were flown to Greece and Slovakia, while 138 others remain in Israeli custody. The deportees include citizens from multiple countries, among them Greece, Italy, France, Ireland, Sweden, Poland, Germany, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Austria, Luxembourg, Finland, Denmark, Slovakia, Switzerland, Norway, the United Kingdom, Serbia, and the United States.

Photos shared on the Foreign Ministry’s official X (formerly Twitter) account showed Greta Thunberg walking through Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport alongside two other women, all wearing grey tracksuits typically used in Israeli prisons.

The Global Samoud Flotilla, composed of international activists, had been attempting to break the blockade and deliver aid to Gaza when it was intercepted by Israeli forces. The continued detention of over a hundred activists has drawn strong criticism from human rights organizations and renewed calls for accountability over Israel’s treatment of humanitarian missions.