Greta Thunberg, the Swedish activist, received a warm welcome from pro-Palestinian supporters in Greece on Monday. She, along with hundreds of other activists, was deported by Israel after their attempt to provide aid to Gaza. Israel expelled a total of 171 activists on Monday, including Thunberg, making the overall number of deportees reach 341 out of the 479 individuals detained during the interception of the flotilla trying to break the naval blockade of Gaza.
The Greek Foreign Ministry reported that 161 activists, including Thunberg and 27 Greek nationals, arrived in Athens on Monday. Thunberg expressed her concerns about the ongoing Israeli military actions in Gaza, stating that there is a genocide occurring and criticizing the international community’s failure to prevent war crimes. The Global Sumud flotilla aimed to fill the void left by governments’ inaction, she emphasized.
Israel, denying accusations of genocide in Gaza, labeled the flotilla as a propaganda effort benefiting Hamas. Ottawa announced that Israel will release three Canadian citizens who were also detained during the flotilla incident. Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand confirmed that Canada is providing consular support to the detained Canadians, who are in the process of being released.
Deportees hailed from various countries, including Greece, Italy, France, Ireland, Sweden, and the United States, among others, as stated by the Israeli foreign ministry. Reports of mistreatment surfaced as some deportees alleged sleep deprivation, lack of essentials, and physical abuse. Israel refuted these allegations, asserting that detainees were provided with necessities and legal rights.
The Swiss Embassy visited Swiss nationals detained in Israel, confirming their relatively good health. Former Barcelona Mayor Ada Colau, who was part of the flotilla, highlighted the mistreatment but emphasized that it paled in comparison to the daily struggles faced by the Palestinian people.
Spanish journalists raised concerns about the handling of deported activists, claiming they were coerced into signing documents without translation assistance. Consular officials have been visiting detainees in prison, as confirmed by statements from affected countries.