Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg participated in the Global Sumud Flotilla, an international effort launched in late August 2025 to deliver aid to Gaza and challenge Israel's blockade amid the ongoing war, which has displaced most of Gaza's 2.3 million residents and caused widespread hunger according to UN reports.
On October 3-4, 2025, Israel's navy intercepted
approximately 40 boats in the flotilla, detaining more than 450 activists from
various countries, including Thunberg, who was among those held in an Israeli
detention facility described by some as a "notorious torture prison."
These marks Thunberg's second such detention; she was
previously arrested and deported in June 2025 during a similar Gaza aid
attempt.
Thunberg's
Allegations:
At a press
conference in Stockholm on October 7, 2025, shortly after her deportation on
October 6, Thunberg accused Israeli forces of "kidnapping and
torturing" her and other detainees during their time in an Israeli prison.
She declined to detail her personal experiences, stating:
"Personally, I don't want to share what I was subjected to because I don't
want it to make headlines and 'Greta has been tortured', because that's not the
story here," emphasizing that their ordeal "paled in comparison to
what people in Gaza experienced daily."
Thunberg specifically mentioned not receiving clean water
and noted that other detainees were deprived of critical medication.
Reports of
Mistreatment from Activists:
Fellow detainees described severe mistreatment, including
Thunberg being dragged on the ground, shoved, and forced to kiss or pose with
an Israeli flag as a form of humiliation and propaganda.
Other accounts include detainees being treated "like
dogs" or "animals," left without food or water for up to three days
(leading some to drink from toilets), enduring extreme heat, and being denied
medication; one activist reported bloodstained prison walls with messages from
prior detainees.
Israeli rights group Adalah reported that detainees were
forced to kneel with zip-tied hands for hours and blocked from contacting
lawyers.
About 137 deportees, including Thunberg, arrived in
Istanbul on October 4, 2025, with nationals from Turkey (36), Italy (26
deported, 15 remaining), the US, Malaysia, and others among the group.
Israeli Response:
Israel's foreign ministry has denied all allegations of
mistreatment, calling them "complete lies" and stating that all
detainees received water, food, restrooms, access to legal counsel, and full
upholding of their rights.
The ministry previously described the flotilla as a
"publicity stunt" benefiting Hamas and dismissed reports of Gaza's
hunger crisis as exaggerated; no immediate comment was issued on Thunberg's
specific torture claims.
International and
Swedish Reactions:
The Swedish government advised against the trip but
provided consular support, stressing to Israel the need for humane treatment of
its citizens; Thunberg criticized Sweden for insufficient assistance during
detention.
Italian MP Arturo Scotto condemned the interception as
illegal, arguing the activists acted lawfully while Israel's blockade violated
international law; the incident has drawn broader international condemnation.
Adalah and other rights groups highlighted the treatment
as reflective of systemic issues in Israeli detention practices.
Current Status and
Trending Context:
Thunberg and most detainees have been deported, with the
last groups expected soon; the flotilla's aid supplies were confiscated by
Israel.
The story is trending globally on social media, with #GlobalSumudFlotilla and #GretaThunberg garnering widespread discussion, including calls for Nobel Peace Prize nominations for the activists and accusations of war crimes against Israeli forces.
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