Greta Thunberg detained by Israel again after aid flotilla approaches Gaza | World | News
Greta Thunberg has been detained by Israeli naval forces after joining a large flotilla of aid boats attempting to reach the Gaza Strip.
Footage released by Israel’s Foreign Ministry showed the 21-year-old Swedish climate activist being escorted from her vessel, described as “safe and healthy” following the intervention. She was transferred to an Israeli port after the ship she was aboard was intercepted at sea.
Thunberg was part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, a convoy of around 500 activists and aid workers sailing on nearly 50 boats in what they described as a peaceful mission to deliver supplies to Palestinians in Gaza.
Among the participants were Mandla Mandela, grandson of Nelson Mandela, several European lawmakers, and international campaigners.
This marks the second time in recent months that Thunberg has been detained by Israel. In June, she was deported after travelling on the vessel Madleen, which was stopped by Israeli forces amid accusations of using drones to spray irritants before boarding.
The flotilla said its ships were boarded in international waters on Wednesday evening, with cameras and communications cut as naval vessels surrounded them.
Organisers accused Israel of an “illegal interception,” while Israeli officials insisted the convoy had been warned repeatedly that it was approaching “an active combat zone.”
The Foreign Ministry reiterated that humanitarian aid could be delivered through established land crossings instead.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani confirmed that the boats were being towed to Israel’s port of Ashdod, with activists expected to be deported in the coming days.
He said Israeli forces had been instructed “not to use violence” during the operation. Spain, meanwhile, defended its citizens’ participation, with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez calling the flotilla a humanitarian mission that “wouldn’t be taking place if the Israeli government had allowed for the entry of aid.”
Israel has accused some flotilla members of links to Hamas, though no evidence has been presented. Officials expressed concern about potential escalation, pointing to the deadly 2010 Mavi Marmara raid in which nine activists were killed during an earlier attempt to break the blockade.
The flotilla’s interception comes as Israel’s war in Gaza continues into its second year.
According to Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry, more than 66,000 Palestinians have been killed since the conflict began following the Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which left 1,200 dead and 250 abducted.
Despite repeated calls from European governments to turn back, the flotilla had insisted on pressing forward. As one organiser declared before the interception: “Every minute we advance a little more.”
