Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg pictured wearing a “Decolonize” T-shirt after Israeli forces intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla boats in international waters. Photo: IsraelMFA/X
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg was allegedly assaulted and forced to wear an Israeli flag while in detention, according to activists of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) who were deported to Turkey after being captured by Israeli forces in international waters.
The flotilla, which departed Barcelona on August 31, aimed to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. Israeli forces blocked the boats on Wednesday night, October 1, detaining over 400 participants and beginning deportations two days later.
Of those detained, 137 activists from 13 countries — including the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Algeria, Malaysia, Bahrain, Morocco, Switzerland, Tunisia, and Turkey — arrived in Istanbul on Saturday, the Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed on X.
Turkish journalist Ersin Celik, one of the freed detainees, told Anadolu Agency that Israeli forces assaulted Thunberg in custody.
“They dragged little Greta by her hair, beat her, and forced her to kiss the Israeli flag. They did everything imaginable to her as a warning to others,” he said.
Malaysian activist Hazwani Helmi, 28-year-old, and American citizen Windfield Beaver, forty-three years old, told Reuters they witnessed the incident and said detainees were denied food, water, and medical assistance. Beaver alleged that Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir was present during the abuse.
An email from the Swedish Foreign Ministry, reviewed by The Guardian, said an embassy official who met Thunberg in custody found her held in a bedbug-infested cell with limited food and water. The message added that she developed rashes and suspected her image had been used for propaganda photographs.
Other activists reported similar mistreatment. Italian journalist Lorenzo Agostino said detainees were “kidnapped in international waters” and held under “barbaric” conditions. “They kicked us, deprived us of water for two days, and humiliated us at every opportunity,” he said.
Swiss participant Tabea Zouk recalled being forced to kneel in the sun for over an hour. “They made us lie face down with our heads to the ground. There was nothing humane about it,” she said.
British journalist Kieran Andrieu from Novara Media said detainees were denied medical help and given contaminated food. “We shouted for help when someone was having a heart attack — no one came,” he said.
Margaret Pacetta, a 70-year-old activist from Glasgow, said guards mocked and assaulted detainees. “I told one guard my leg was broken. She slammed the door on it and said, ‘Oh, sorry,’” she recalled.
Separate footage shared by activists on social media showed hijabi women from the flotilla being humiliated after Israeli soldiers forcibly removed their headscarves during detention.
In an act of quiet resistance and solidarity, the women tore their T-shirts and turned them into makeshift hijabs to cover their heads.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry dismissed all accusations as “brazen lies,” insisting that detainees’ rights were upheld and that no formal complaints were made.
“The claims regarding the mistreatment of Greta Thunberg and other detainees from the Hamas–Sumud flotilla are brazen lies. All the detainees’ legal rights are fully upheld.Interestingly enough, Greta herself and other detainees refused to expedite their deportation and insisted on prolonging their stay in custody. Greta also did not complain to the Israeli authorities about any of these ludicrous and baseless allegations — because they never occurred,” the ministry said.
The ministry insisted that all detainees were safe, that their rights were protected, and that no formal complaints had been filed.
The GSF, comprising nearly fifty vessels and five hundred participants, included politicians, journalists, and aid workers. Organisers described it as the largest attempt yet to challenge Israel’s eighteen-year maritime blockade of Gaza.
CBS News reported that Israeli forces used drone strikes authorised by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to disable the ships before boarding and detaining the activists.
The final vessel was intercepted on Friday, October 3
, with four Italian nationals deported the same day.As of Sunday, October 5, Adalah Legal Center said lawyers were still seeking access to detainees held in Israeli prisons.
This post was last modified on October 5, 2025 4:37 pm