Israel deports Greta Thunberg, other activists after Gaza-bound ship intercepted

An Israeli solider passes a bun to Greta Thunberg onboard the Gaza-bound British-flagged yacht “Madleen” after Israeli forces boarded the charity vessel as it attempted to reach the Gaza Strip in defiance of an Israeli naval blockade, in this still image released on June 9, 2025.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Swedish activist Greta Thunberg departed Israel on Tuesday (June 10, 2025) after being detained aboard the Madleen, a Gaza-bound aid ship intercepted by the Israeli navy in international waters, the Israeli foreign ministry said.

Ms. Thunberg was on a flight to France, where she would continue her journey to Sweden, the Ministry said.

Israeli forces boarded the charity vessel as it neared Gaza early on Monday (June 9, 2025), trying to break through a years-old naval blockade of the coastal enclave, and seized the 12-strong crew, including Swedish campaigner Thunberg.

The British-flagged yacht was taken to the Israeli port of Ashdod and the Foreign Ministry said the activists were transferred overnight to Ben Gurion airport.

The activists had been carrying a small cargo of humanitarian aid, including rice and baby formula, and said they wanted to raise international awareness about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, which has been devastated by months of war.

‘Pro-Hamas publicity stunt’

Israel dismissed the voyage as a pro-Hamas publicity stunt. “The tiny amount of aid that was on the yacht and not consumed by the ‘celebrities’ will be transferred to Gaza through real humanitarian channels,” the Foreign Ministry said.

Ms. Thunberg accused Israel of kidnapping her in international waters. “I urge all my friends, family and comrades to put pressure on the Swedish government to release me and the others as soon as possible,” she had said in a video that was recorded ahead of the Israeli navy action.

U.S. President Donald Trump dismissed Greta Thunberg’s claim of being kidnapped. “I think Israel has enough problems without kidnapping Greta Thunberg,” he said. “She’s a young, angry person… I think she has to go to an anger management class.”

Israel has imposed a naval blockade on the coastal enclave since Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007, saying it aims to stop weapons from reaching Hamas.

The blockade has remained in place through conflicts including the war, which began when Hamas-led militants rampaged through southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing more than 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, by Israeli tallies.

Israel’s retaliatory offensive against Hamas has since killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, according to health officials in Hamas-run Gaza, and destroyed most of the homes of its 2.3 million residents.