【Text by Observers Network, Xiong Chaoran】At the beginning of this month, Greta Thunberg, the "environmental girl" who boarded the international Gaza aid flotilla, was arrested and detained by the Israeli military, and there were even reports that she was abused by the Israeli forces.

According to a report by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) on October 6 local time, the Israeli Foreign Ministry stated on the same day that Thunberg and 170 other activists had been deported, and they had taken a flight from the Ramon International Airport in southern Israel to Greece and Slovakia. This was the second time that Thunberg had been deported by Israel after failing to reach Gaza by sea.

Photos shared by the Israeli Foreign Ministry showed Thunberg and other deportees wearing gray sportswear and white T-shirts at the airport. The Israeli side said that these 171 people were citizens from Greece, Italy, France, Ireland, Sweden, Poland, Germany, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Austria, Luxembourg, Finland, Denmark, Slovakia, Switzerland, Norway, the UK, Serbia, and the United States.

On October 6, 2025, Swedish activist Thunberg (center) at the Ramon International Airport, and then was deported along with other Gaza flotilla activists. Israeli Foreign Ministry

On August 31 this year, the "Global Sumud Flotilla" (GSF) set sail from Spain, carrying humanitarian aid, aiming to "break the illegal siege of Gaza by Israel."

"Sumud" means "steadfastness" in Arabic, so the flotilla is also called the "Global Steadfast" Gaza relief flotilla. According to the GSF, this mission involved more than 40 ships and over 450 activists from more than 44 countries, and during the voyage, demonstrations and camping protests were conducted simultaneously. The Swedish climate activist known as the "Environmental Girl," Greta Thunberg, was also on board.

"Global Steadfast Flotilla" route BBC

On October 1 local time, the Israeli military intercepted all the ships, and afterwards, all the members of the flotilla were arrested. It was reported that most of them were detained in the Ketziv Prison located in the desert area, a heavily guarded prison previously used mainly to detain Palestinian prisoners, many of whom were accused by Israel of participating in radical or terrorist activities.

Afterward, protest movements erupted in Geneva, Paris and other European cities. On October 3, hundreds of thousands of Italians responded to the call of unions, took to the streets across the country, and held nationwide general strikes to express support for the Gaza aid flotilla arrested by the Israeli military.

On October 4 local time, a total of 137 released activists arrived in Istanbul, Turkey. As soon as they landed, they exposed the "violent abuse" by the Israeli military to international media such as the Turkish Anadolu Agency, TRT, and CNN.

"They pulled her hair and beat her, forcing her to crawl and kiss the Israeli flag"; "Thunberg was publicly humiliated, forced to wrap herself in the Israeli flag, and displayed like a trophy" ...

The British Guardian also reported on the same day that Thunberg, who was being detained by the Israeli military, told Swedish officials that she had been subjected to harsh treatment, "being kept in a room full of bedbugs, with insufficient food and water". A Swedish Foreign Ministry official revealed in an email to Thunberg's family and friends that other detainees confirmed that they saw Thunberg "forced to take photos holding the Israeli flag".

October 1, footage of Thunberg being arrested by Israeli military, screenshot

Thunberg in a "decolonize" T-shirt, captured image, social media

On October 5 local time, the Israeli Foreign Ministry released a statement via the social media platform X, refuting claims that "Thunberg and other detained members of the flotilla were abused by the Israeli military" as "shameless lies." It insisted that the legal rights of all detained individuals were "fully protected."

The Israeli Foreign Ministry also claimed that Thunberg was not released because she refused to be deported.

The statement read, "Interestingly, Greta herself and other detained individuals refused to expedite the deportation process, instead insisting on prolonging their stay during detention. Greta has never raised any complaints to the Israeli authorities about these absurd and baseless accusations, because they never happened in the first place."

This article is exclusive to Observers Network. Reproduction without permission is prohibited.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7558112774904136207/

Statement: The article represents the views of the author. Please express your attitude by clicking on the [Up/Down] buttons below.