Israel deports activist Greta Thunberg after military seized Gaza Freedom Flotilla ship

Jerusalem — Israel deported activist Greta Thunberg on Tuesday, the country’s Foreign Ministry said, a day after the Gaza-bound ship she was on with 11 other people was seized by the Israeli military. Thunberg left on a flight to France and was then headed to her home country of Sweden, the Foreign Ministry said in a post on X. It posted a photo of Thunberg, a climate activist who shuns air travel, seated on a plane.

Thunberg was one of 12 passengers on the Madleen, a ship carrying aid to Gaza with a mission to protest Israel’s ongoing war there and shed light on the humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territory, according to the organizers, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition.

Israeli naval forces seized the boat without incident early Monday about 125 miles off of Gaza’s coast, according to the coalition, which, along with rights groups, condemned Israel’s actions as a violation of international law. Israel rejects that charge because it says such ships intend to breach what it argues is its military’s lawful naval blockade of Gaza.

The boat, accompanied by Israel’s navy, arrived in the Israeli port of Ashdod Monday evening, according to the Foreign Ministry.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition said three activists, including Thunberg, had been deported along with a journalist. It said it had encouraged some of the group to do this so they could speak freely about their experiences.

Eight other passengers refused deportation and were being held in detention before their case is to be heard by Israeli authorities. Adalah, a legal rights group in Israel representing the activists, said the eight were expected to be brought before a court later Tuesday.

“Their detention is unlawful, politically motivated and a direct violation of international law,” the coalition said in a statement. It called for the remaining passengers to be released without deportation and said their lawyers would demand that they be allowed to complete their journey…