Gaza: Greta Thunberg deported after Israel seizes aid boat

Written by David Fletcher 12 Jun 2025
Gaza: Greta Thunberg deported after Israel seizes aid boat

Greta Thunberg, the climate-change inspiration for millions of young people world-wide, has condemned Israel’s seizure of a Gaza-bound aid boat she was aboard, calling it ‘an illegal act’. The British-flagged yacht Madleen had sailed from Sicily intending to breach Israel’s sea blockade of Gaza. Thunberg and eleven others were detained in international waters and brought to Israel. She described their treatment as forced and restrictive, but stressed the real issue is Gaza’s ‘systematic starvation’ and the blockade preventing essential supplies. Israel countered with footage of the boat’s passengers being given food, which Thunberg dismissed as a PR stunt. She was put on a plane back to Sweden on 10 June, and three others have agreed to deportation, but the rest remain in detention. Meanwhile, tensions in Gaza escalate: Hamas reported three paramedics killed by Israeli strikes, and local authorities say Israeli fire killed at least 17 Palestinians at a US-backed aid site. The Israeli military says it is investigating. Aid routes remain perilous, with over 130 Palestinians killed near such sites in recent weeks.

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