Israel expels Greta Thunberg after Gaza aid ship blockade

Greta Thunberg tried to provide assistance to Gaza at sea with nearly a dozen other militants, and was deported after Israeli sailboats were intercepted by the military, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.

The ministry posted on X that “Greta Thunberg has just flew to Sweden (via France) and posted a photo of a 22-year-old boarding the plane on X.

The ministry announced hours ago that Dunberg and other passengers on board had arrived at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv to return to its home country.

According to local media reports, three other people will also leave Israel.

But Israeli news portal YNET reported that they will continue to be detained for the time being because they refuse to sign the necessary deportation documents. These include French MP Rima Hassan.

According to the report, eight will remain in detention centers near the airport until the deportation form is signed, or until up to 96 hours since detention.

Interior Minister Moshe Arbel banned radicals from formally entering Israel.

Madleen from the Freedom Flotilla Alliance (FFC) set sail from Sicily a week ago to provide assistance to Palestinians and hope to put pressure on Israel to end the war in Gaza, where food and aid were very little due to Israel’s three-month lockdown, which was only recently alleviated.

But they were intercepted by Israeli forces early Monday under the order of Defense Minister Katz.

In a statement Monday, the FFC said Madeline was forcibly intercepted by the Israeli military in international waters, and his crew was detained and aided cargo occupation.

FFC organizer Huwaida Arraf said the detention charge was illegal, saying Israel had no jurisdiction over volunteers. Israel’s foreign ministry regards the mission as a “provocation” and calls Madleen a “self-portrait yacht.”