JERUSALEM — Israel has deported Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg after its military seized a Gaza-bound aid vessel she boarded in an attempt to breach the Israeli blockade of the coastal enclave.
The 22-year-old activist was among a dozen passengers aboard the Madleen, a British-flagged yacht that set sail from Sicily on May 1. The mission, organized by the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition, aimed to deliver humanitarian supplies and challenge Israel’s longstanding naval blockade on Gaza.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry confirmed Monday that its forces had intercepted the vessel and brought it to shore. The passengers underwent medical evaluations upon arrival. In a post on social media platform X on Tuesday, the ministry published a photograph of Thunberg aboard an airplane, stating she was en route to Sweden via France.
Legal rights group Adalah, which is representing the passengers, confirmed that Thunberg, two other activists, and a journalist agreed to deportation and have since left the country. Other passengers who declined voluntary deportation remain in Israeli custody pending legal proceedings.
“They are expected to be moved to the Ramleh detention facility unless they agree to leave immediately,” Adalah said in a statement. The organization maintains the detentions are unlawful and that the aid seizure violates international law. “We continue to demand the immediate release of all volunteers and the return of the stolen aid,” it said.
The incident adds to growing international scrutiny over Israel’s conduct in Gaza, where the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate amid ongoing conflict.
Earlier Monday, Hamas said three paramedics were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City’s al-Tuffah neighborhood. The militant group condemned the attack as a war crime, stating, “Targeting those who aid victims represents an unprecedented level of brutality and criminality.”
In a separate development, Gaza health authorities accused Israeli forces of opening fire on a crowd at a U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) aid distribution site in central Gaza, killing at least 17 Palestinians and wounding dozens more. The Israeli military said it is reviewing the reports and noted it had warned civilians not to approach designated military zones near GHF locations between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m.
The Madleen’s voyage marks the latest effort by international activists to draw attention to the blockade and worsening conditions in Gaza. Previous flotillas have also been intercepted by Israeli forces, often triggering diplomatic tensions.
Thunberg, globally recognized for her environmental advocacy, had not previously engaged in direct action over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Her participation drew renewed media attention to the humanitarian crisis and underscored increasing crossover between environmental and human rights activism.
As of Tuesday evening, the Israeli government had not disclosed when or if the remaining detained activists would be released or deported.
