Greta Thunberg gets deported from Israel, says she was kidnapped in international waters

Swedish activist Greta Thunberg has claimed that she and 11 other pro-Palestinian activists were kidnapped by Israeli forces in international waters as they were sailing aboard the Madleen to Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid.

They were intercepted by the Israeli navy on Jun. 9 as they neared Gaza, attempting to break through a year-old naval blockage of the coastal enclave.

On Jun. 10, Thunberg and three other activists were confirmed by the Israel Foreign Ministry to have departed Tel Aviv airport towards France.

Eight remaining activists, reportedly including one member of the European Parliament, were detained by the Israeli government after they refused to sign paperwork agreeing to be deported, The Times of Israel reported.

Thunberg says they were kidnapped

Thunberg told the media at the Charles de Gaulle airport after arriving in Paris that she and her fellow activists were unlawfully "kidnapped" in international waters, echoing an earlier pre-recorded video posted on X on Jun. 9.

She condemned Israel for detaining them against their "will", bringing them to Israel, and keeping them in the "bottom of the boat", BBC reported.

She also said there is a "genocide going on in Gaza" and a "systematic starvation following the siege and blockade".

Top image via Israel Foreign Ministry/X