Greta Thunberg to be Deported to Greece from Israel on Monday

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, who became an outspoken critic of Israel following the October 7 Hamas attacks and the war in Gaza, is set to be deported Monday on a flight funded by Greece.

Thunberg will be deported on a special flight paid for by Greece to return 27 of its citizens who took part in the “Global Sumud Flotilla,” a fleet of dozens of vessels that attempted to “break the blockade” on Gaza and was intercepted by the Israeli navy on Yom Kippur. Thunberg was the most prominent activist aboard the flotilla, joining it after she had already been arrested and deported following a similar attempt in June.

The deportation follows claims published Sunday about harsh conditions during her detention at Ketziot Prison. According to Britain’s Guardian, a Swedish official who visited Thunberg said she was being held in a cell infested with bedbugs and given too little food and water. Another source claimed that “according to reports, another detainee said she saw Thunberg forced to hold flags while being photographed.” Turkish activist Ersin Celik, who was also arrested during the flotilla, told Turkey’s Anadolu Agency that “they dragged little Greta by her hair before our eyes, beat her and forced her to kiss the Israeli flag. They did exactly what the Nazis did.”

Israel’s Foreign Ministry rejected the allegations as “outrageous lies.” The ministry said in a statement that “all legal rights of the detainees are fully upheld. It is noteworthy that Thunberg and other detainees refused to expedite their deportation and insisted on extending their detention. Thunberg did not file any complaints with Israeli authorities about these absurd and baseless claims — because they never happened.”

In Greece, which is funding Thunberg’s deportation flight, officials said the Greek citizens received proper treatment. According to the Greek Foreign Ministry, the country’s ambassador to Israel visited the 27 detained nationals Sunday and reported that “they are all healthy and receiving all necessary assistance.”

At the same time, Israel’s Prison Service reported an unusual incident in which one of the flotilla activists detained at Ketziot bit a member of the prison’s medical staff. Despite the assault, the activist is still expected to be deported as planned, though she may later be summoned for questioning.

“A Spanish national, one of the activists from Hamas’ provocation flotilla, bit a medical staff member at Ketziot Prison after being returned from a routine medical examination ahead of her scheduled deportation tomorrow,” the Prison Service said. “The staff member sustained minor injuries and received local treatment. Israel Police were called to handle the attacker. The Prison Service views any violence toward staff with utmost severity, and such incidents are dealt with according to law.”

On Saturday, Israel announced that 137 flotilla activists had been deported. According to Turkey’s Foreign Ministry, the deportees boarded a Turkish Airlines flight that landed in Istanbul. They included citizens of the United States, Italy, Britain, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Algeria, Mauritania, Malaysia, Bahrain, Morocco, Switzerland, Tunisia and Turkey.

In total, more than 450 activists who participated in the flotilla were arrested. The convoy set sail from Genoa on August 30, from Barcelona on August 31 and from Tunisia and Catania on September 4. According to Reuters, the deportees included 36 Turkish nationals and 26 Italians, along with citizens from various Arab and European countries. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said that another 15 Italians remain in Israel and are expected to be deported next week.