Greta Thunberg, the activist, is facing deportation from Israel as confirmed by the country’s Foreign Ministry and a rights group representing her. This action comes after the Israeli military seized the Gaza-bound ship she was traveling on.
In a post on X just before 10.30am (5.30pm AEST), the Foreign Ministry shared a photo of Thunberg on a plane.
“Greta Thunberg just departed Israel on a flight to Sweden (via France),” the post said.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry said the group “attempted to stage a media provocation whose sole purpose was to gain publicity”.
“There are ways to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip – they do not involve Instagram selfies,” it added.
According to the French Foreign Ministry, there were six French nationals aboard the vessel named Madleen. The Ministry is currently in discussions with Israeli authorities to facilitate the return of these individuals. Prior to this incident, the French government had cautioned the activists against pursuing their intended course of action.
Hamas has strongly protested against the detention of the activists and demanded their immediate release. In a statement, Hamas denounced the interception as a clear violation of international law and viewed it as an unwarranted aggression against humanitarian volunteers.
Israel imposed a full humanitarian blockade of Gaza on March 2, cutting off food, medical supplies, and other aid to the more than 2 million Palestinians who live in the territory for 11 weeks.
Faced with growing international pressure, Israel began allowing a trickle of aid in late May. But humanitarian organisations say it is only a fraction of the aid that entered the enclave before the war, and have warned of a worsening humanitarian crisis and the growing risk of widespread famine. A UN-backed report warned in late April that one in five people were facing starvation.
