Desk Report:
Israel deports 171 people, including Greta Thunberg, to Greece and Slovakia
Israel has returned 171 people, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, who were detained by Israeli forces while delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza to Greece and Slovakia. Israel claims that the detainees’ legal rights were upheld.
According to the BBC report, the flotilla detained by Israeli forces last week consisted of more than 40 civilian boats. In total, there were about 470 people on board. The flotilla was called the ‘Global Peace Flotilla’.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry called the flotilla a show or a stunt in a post on social media X. It also accused the detainees of spreading ‘false’ information. On the other hand, some of those who were released from Israeli detention have complained of harassment and ill-treatment.
It is worth noting that this is the second time that Greta Thunberg has been deported from Israel after a failed attempt to reach Gaza by sea.
According to information provided by Israeli authorities, the latest deportees are citizens of Greece, Italy, France, Ireland, Sweden, Poland, Germany, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Austria, Luxembourg, Finland, Denmark, Slovakia, Switzerland, Norway, the United Kingdom, Serbia and the United States.
Since the Global Sea Flotilla was intercepted last week, these human rights activists have been being deported to their respective countries in stages. Earlier, 29 people were deported to Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands on Sunday. Last Saturday, 137 detainees were sent to Turkey. Among them were citizens of the United States, Italy, the United Kingdom, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Algeria, Mauritania, Malaysia, Bahrain, Morocco, Switzerland, Tunisia and Turkey. Four Italian citizens were repatriated last Friday.
The first flotilla of the Global Sumud flotilla, which was carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza, was intercepted in international waters about 70 nautical miles off the coast of Gaza. Israel conducts military patrols in the area, but has no legal authority to detain anyone there.
Israel claims that its navy told the Global Sumud flotilla boats to change course because they were “close to an active war zone and violating a legal naval blockade.” The Global Sumud flotilla, on the other hand, called the interception “illegal.” The flotilla said that Israel’s action was not an act of defense, but rather an act of brazenness.
