Israel forces Greta Thunberg to leave after her detention during Gaza aid mission
Greta Thunberg, forced to leave Israel after being detained during a Gaza aid mission. Here's what led to her deportation.
Swiss activist Greta Thunberg was forced to leave Israel in a flight to Sweden (via France) on Tuesday after being detained by Israeli forces along with other activists aboard an aid ship bound for Gaza. Thunberg, a very well-known climate activist has famously avoided air travelling for eco-friendly reasons, was part of the Madleen flotilla At least 5 of the crewmates were also detained on Monday, as they refused to leave voluntarily.
Israel's Foreign Ministry publishes pictures of Greta Thunberg. Photo: @IsraelMFA/ X
Jean-Noël Barrot, France's foreign minister, stated that all the six French citizens who were arrested by Israeli forces have had their families notified. “Last night, our consul was able to see the six French citizens arrested by Israeli authorities. Their families have been contacted. One of them agreed to leave voluntarily and is expected to return today. The other five will be deported.”
Israel’s response to the aid ship
As one of the French citizens of the Madleen flotilla was a member of the European Parliament, and according to a spokesperson for the Parliament, the President of the EP was in constant communication with Israeli authorities to ensure their safety.
Israel forces Greta Thunberg to leave the country. Photo: @Israel/ X
Israel's official X account has referred to the boat by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) as the "selfie yatch" in a recent post updating about the activists' current situation. According to them, the "tiny amount" of aid that was not consumed by the "celebrities" (referring to the activists), will arrive to Gaza through "real humanitarian channels".
Israel ended the post stating there are proper ways to deliver aid to Gaza; that "do not involve provocations and selfies".
What is the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC)?
The association is composed of "civil society organizations and grassroots initiatives from across the globe", to actively challenge Israel's blockade in Gaza. In 2025, the Madleen flotilla, by the FFC, saled to the Gaza Strip to affer aid. These are their members:
- Baptiste Andre (France)
- Suyab Ordu (Turkey)
- Mark van Rennes (Netherlands)
- Omar Faiad (France)
- Pascal Maurieras (France)
- Reva Viard (France)
- Rima Hassan (France) - member of the European Parliament
- Sergio Toribio (Spain)
- Thiago Ávila (Brazil)
- Yanis Mhadi (France)
- Yasemin Acar (Germany)
