Tel Aviv, October 2025: Israel has deported 171 foreign activists, including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, who were detained after attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza as part of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF).
According to Israeli authorities, the activists were flown to Greece and Slovakia following their detention last week. The deported individuals included citizens from Greece, Slovakia, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Photos released by local media showed Thunberg in a grey tracksuit as she passed through airport security.
The GSF flotilla had set sail to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza, aiming to deliver humanitarian aid and advocate for a humanitarian corridor. Organizers said their mission sought to highlight what they called the “illegal siege on Gaza” and the ongoing humanitarian crisis faced by Palestinians.
So far, Israel has deported 341 of the more than 470 activists who were on board the 42 intercepted boats.
Activist groups accused Israeli forces of violating international maritime and humanitarian law during the operation and alleged that detainees were mistreated and denied basic rights while in custody.
Israeli officials, however, rejected these claims, describing the flotilla as a “public relations stunt” and maintaining that the naval blockade of Gaza is legal under international law. They also dismissed reports of mistreatment as “fake news.”
The deportations have sparked renewed international debate over humanitarian access to Gaza and the legality of Israel’s blockade, which has been in place since 2007.
