Greta Thunberg deported from Israel after Madleen aid boat heading to Gaza was intercepted by Israeli naval forces

Greta Thunberg was deported from Israel on Tuesday after being detained with other activists aboard a yacht attempting to deliver aid to Gaza, the Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed.

The 22-year-old Swedish climate activist was among 12 people aboard the British-flagged vessel Madleen, dubbed the “Freedom Flotilla,” which aimed to challenge Israel’s long-standing naval blockade of Gaza. The boat was intercepted by the Israeli navy and brought to the port of Ashdod on Monday.

Thunberg departed Israel on a flight to Sweden via France, the Foreign Ministry posted on X, sharing photos of her aboard a plane. 

Thunberg said on Tuesday she was kidnapped in international waters by Israeli forces as she arrived in Paris Charles de Gaulle airport after being deported from Israel.

“We were kidnapped in international waters,” she told reporters at her arrival in Paris.

According to the ministry, several other activists were also deported after refusing to sign voluntary departure documents. Those who resisted deportation were being held at Givon prison in Ramla and expected to appear before an immigration tribunal on Tuesday.

The legal advocacy group Adalah, which is representing the detainees, confirmed that eight activists remained in custody, while at least four, including French doctor Baptiste André, had been deported. Among those still detained were Brazilian activist Thiago Ávila and Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament.

The Madleen set sail from Sicily earlier this month with a symbolic cargo of humanitarian aid. Its mission came amid international concern over Gaza’s worsening humanitarian crisis. Although Israel has recently allowed some aid into Gaza, critics—including the United Nations—say it remains insufficient.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry claims over 1,200 aid trucks have entered Gaza in the past two weeks, distributing about 10 million meals through the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). But aid groups note that Gaza’s population of 2.1 million would require significantly more to meet basic needs. Before the war, more than 500 trucks entered Gaza daily.

GHF operations have been sporadically suspended following deadly incidents near distribution sites. Thunberg called the blockade “inhumane” and said international silence on Gaza’s plight was “morally unacceptable.”

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that Madleen passengers were shown footage of Hamas’s October 7 attacks upon arrival at Ashdod. The assault killed about 1,200 Israelis and led to the abduction of around 250 people, prompting Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.

Since then, Gaza health officials say over 54,000 people—many of them civilians and children—have been killed in the Israeli offensive.