Jerusalem – Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg has alleged mistreatment during her detention by Israeli authorities after the interception of a Gaza-bound aid flotilla, according to a Swedish foreign ministry email cited by The Guardian.
Greta Thunberg, 22, described being held in a bedbug-infested cell, denied sufficient water causing dehydration, and coerced into posing with an Israeli flag for photos.
Thunberg was among 437 activists detained when Israeli naval forces intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla, a 40-vessel convoy carrying food, medicine, and baby formula, on October 1, 70 nautical miles from Gaza.
The flotilla aimed to break Israel’s 16-year naval blockade amid Gaza’s humanitarian crisis. Israel called the convoy a “provocation” tied to Hamas, a claim organizers rejected, insisting their mission was purely humanitarian.
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Thunberg, deported to Sweden with most detainees, had legal access during her brief custody at Ashdod port. Israel’s Foreign Ministry defended the operation as lawful, releasing footage showing Thunberg offered water and a jacket.
The incident, her second flotilla detention this year, has sparked global protests and renewed calls from human rights groups for probes into Israel’s detention practices and blockade policies.