Activist Greta Thunberg was deported from Israel on Tuesday, the country’s Foreign Ministry said, a day after the Gaza-bound ship she was on was seized by the Israeli military.

In a post on X, the Foreign Ministry shared a photo of Thunberg on a plane, saying she had departed Israel and was headed to France before continuing on to Sweden.

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Adalah, a legal rights group in Israel representing Thunberg and the other activists, said Thunberg, two other activists and a journalist had agreed to be deported and leave Israel. Other activists who refused deportation were being held in detention and their case was set to be heard by Israeli authorities.

Thunberg was one of 12 passengers on board the Madleen, a boat carrying aid destined for people in war-torn Gaza.

Israeli naval forces seized the boat early on Monday about 200 kilometres off Gaza’s coast, according to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the group that organised the journey. The boat, accompanied by Israel’s navy, arrived in the Israeli port of Ashdod on Monday evening, according to Israel’s Foreign Ministry.

The activists said they were protesting the ongoing war and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Israel says such ships violate its naval blockade of Gaza.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry portrayed the voyage as a public relations stunt, saying on social media that “the ‘selfie yacht’ of the ‘celebrities’ was safely making its way to the shores of Israel”.

✕ Close Greta Thunberg ‘kidnapped by Israeli forces’ in international waters while carrying aid for Gaza

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The Madleen boat has reached the Ashdod port in Israel after Israeli forces intercepted the Gaza-bound vessel off the coast of Egypt.

Israel has vowed to deport all 12 activists on board the Madleen, including climate activist Greta Thunberg.

The UK-flagged boat, which was carrying a symbolic amount of aid and intended to break Israel’s naval blockade around Gaza, in place since 2007, was intercepted in the early hours of Monday morning.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which had organised the voyage, said the activists were “kidnapped by Israeli forces” while trying to deliver desperately needed aid to the territory.

The Israeli foreign minstry said the passengers of the boat are currently undergoing medical examinations after arriving at Ashdod port.

Defence minister Israel Katz has dismissed the activists as engaged in a publicity stunt and said the vessel would be transported to the port of Ashdod.

Mr Katz said he had told the military to force the passengers to watch videos of the Hamas atrocities of 7 October upon arrival “to see exactly who the terrorist organisation they came to support and for whom they work is”.

Activist Greta Thunberg is being deported from Israel after the Gaza-bound ship she was on was seized by the Israeli military.

In a post on X, Israel’s Foreign Ministry shared a photo of Ms Thunberg on a plane, saying that she was heading for France before continuing to Sweden.

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Adalah, a legal rights group in Israel representing Ms Thunberg and the other activists, said the Swede, two other campaigners and a journalist had agreed to be deported.

Other activists refused deportation, were being held in detention and their case was set to be heard by Israeli authorities.

Greta Thunberg just departed Israel on a flight to Sweden (via France). pic.twitter.com/kWrI9KVoqX — Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) June 10, 2025

Ms Thunberg was one of 12 passengers on board the Madleen, a boat carrying aid destined for people in war-torn Gaza.

Israeli naval forces seized the boat early on Monday about 125 miles off Gaza’s coast, according to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the group that organised the journey.

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The boat, accompanied by Israel’s navy, arrived in the Israeli port of Ashdod on Monday evening.

The activists said they were protesting against the ongoing war and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Israel says such ships violate its naval blockade of Gaza.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry portrayed the voyage as a public relations stunt, saying on social media that “the ‘selfie yacht’ of the ‘celebrities’ is safely making its way to the shores of Israel”.

Sabine Haddad, a spokeswoman for Israel’s Interior Ministry, said the activists who were being deported on Tuesday had waived their right to appear before a judge. Those who did not will face one and will be held for 96 hours before being deported.

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People wave the Palestinian flag and hold signs in support of Greta Thunberg (Leo Correa/AP)

Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament who is of Palestinian descent, was among the volunteers on board.

She has been barred from entering Israel because of her opposition to Israeli policies toward the Palestinians.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Tuesday that one of the detained French activists signed an expulsion order and will leave Israel on Tuesday for France. The other five refused. He said all the activists received consular visits.

Adalah said that Israel had “no legal authority” to take over the ship because the group said it was in international waters and it was headed not to Israel but to the “territorial waters of the state of Palestine”.

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Amnesty International said Israel was flouting international law with the naval raid and called on Israel to release the activists immediately and unconditionally.

“The arrest of the unarmed activists, who operated in a civilian manner to provide humanitarian aid, amounts to a serious breach of international law,” Adalah said.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition said the activists were “kidnapped by Israeli forces” while trying to deliver desperately needed food, baby formula and medical supplies. “If you see this video, we have been intercepted and kidnapped in international waters by Israeli occupational forces or forces that support Israel,” Thunberg said in a video released by the Coalition, filmed before the vessel was captured. “I urge all my friends, family and comrades to put pressure on the Swedish government to release me and the others as soon as possible.” US President Donald Trump dismissed the statement: “I think Israel has enough problems without kidnapping Greta Thunberg,” he said. “She’s a young, angry person … I think she has to go to an anger management class.” He made a similar remark about the then-16-year-old activist in 2019.

Israel has dismissed the aid ship as a stunt, with its Foreign Ministry labelling the boat “the selfie yacht”. Officials said the flotilla carried what amounted to less than a truckload of aid. Loading “This wasn’t humanitarian aid. It’s Instagram activism,” Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer said. Israel said the aid on board would be sent to Gaza through established channels, and circulated footage of what appeared to be Israeli military personnel offering sandwiches and water to the activists, who were wearing life vests. It also published a photo of Thunberg on social media after she disembarked. After an 11-week total blockade aimed at pressuring Hamas, Israel started allowing some basic aid into Gaza last month, but humanitarian workers and experts say it is not enough and have warned of famine unless the blockade is lifted and Israel ends its military offensive. The United Nations said on Monday that it had only been able to bring minimal flour into Gaza and most aid had been looted by armed gangs or taken by starving Palestinians.

Palestinians also said Israeli forces and local gunmen working near the soldiers had on Monday fired towards a crowd heading to a new Israeli-backed aid distribution centre in the Gaza Strip, with Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry and local hospitals saying 14 people were killed. Dozens of people have died in shootings over the past two weeks while attempting to get aid from new centres run by a controversial new aid group backed by the US and Israel, called the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. The United Nations and other aid groups have refused to work with the group, citing humanitarian concerns. An attempt by Freedom Flotilla last month to reach Gaza by sea failed after another of its vessels was attacked by two drones while sailing in international waters off Malta, organisers said. The group blamed Israel for the attack, which damaged the ship’s front section. Greta Thunberg with part of the crew of the ship Madleen, shortly before the departure for Gaza. Credit: Getty Images Rima Hassan, a member of the European Parliament who is of Palestinian descent, was among six French citizens aboard. French President Emmanuel Macron asked Israel to allow them to return to France as soon as possible, his office said in a statement.

Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard said the crew and passengers were aware of the risks and that her ministry had advised against travel to Gaza for a decade and people who disregard that had a clear personal responsibility, Swedish news agency TT reported. Displaced Palestinians walk past the ruins of buildings along the Gaza City shoreline on Monday. Credit: AP Stenergard said the ministry’s assessment was that no one on board was in danger and there was no need for consular support. Israel and Egypt have imposed varying degrees of a blockade on Gaza since Hamas seized power from rival Palestinian forces in 2007. Israel says the blockade is needed to prevent Hamas from importing arms, while critics say it amounts to collective punishment of Gaza’s Palestinian population. Israel sealed off Gaza from all aid in the early days of the war ignited by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, but later relented under US pressure. In early March, shortly before Israel ended a ceasefire with Hamas, the country again blocked all imports, including food, fuel and medicine.

Loading Hamas-led militants killed about 1200 people, mostly civilians, in the October 7 attack and abducted 251 hostages. Most have been released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Hamas still holds 55 hostages. More than half are believed to be dead. Israel’s military campaign has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants but has said that women and children make up most of the dead. The war has destroyed vast areas of Gaza and displaced about 90 per cent of the population, leaving people almost completely dependent on international aid. Efforts to broker another truce have been deadlocked for months. Hamas says it will only release the remaining hostages in exchange for a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal. Israel has vowed to continue the war until all the captives are returned and Hamas is defeated, or disarmed and exiled.

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Jerusalem | Activist Greta Thunberg is being deported from Israel, the Foreign Ministry and a rights group representing her said Tuesday, after the Gaza-bound ship she was on was seized by the Israeli military.

In a post on X, the Israeli Foreign Ministry shared a photo of Thunberg on a plane. “Greta Thunberg is departing Israel on a flight to France,” the post said.

Adalah, a legal rights group in Israel representing her and the other activists, said Thunberg, two other activists and a journalist had agreed to be deported and leave Israel. Other activists refused deportation, were being held in detention and their case was set to be heard by Israeli authorities.

Thunberg was one of 12 passengers on board the Madleen, a boat carrying aid destined for people in war-torn Gaza.