Greta Thunberg accuses Israel of 'kidnapping' her upon landing in Paris after deportation

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg – who has shifted to pro-Palestinian activism since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks – was deported by Israel along with three other activists, one day after the Israeli Navy intercepted their boat, the Madleen, as they attempted to reach Gaza.

The crew of the boat claimed to be bringing humanitarian aid to Gaza; however, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said the group only brought “a negligible amount of aid that contributes nothing to Gaza.” 

After arriving in Paris, Thunberg was met by French border police and journalists who questioned her in the arrivals section of Charles de Gaulle International Airport. The activist claimed that Israeli forces had intercepted the boat in international waters and “kidnapped” them.

“I was very clear in my testimony that we were kidnapped on international waters and brought against our own will into Israel," she stated. 

The activist also told reporters, “We were 12 peaceful volunteers sailing on a civilian ship carrying humanitarian aid on international waters. We did not break laws. We did nothing wrong.” 

At a briefing on Tuesday, Sa’ar told reporters, “Greta and her friends brought in a tiny amount of aid on their celebrity yacht. It did not help the people of Gaza. This was nothing but a ridiculous gimmick.” 

However, he affirmed that the few supplies onboard the vessel would be transferred to Gaza through “real humanitarian channels.” 

The Foreign Ministry questioned the true motives of the ship’s attempt to reach Gaza, noting that the vessel carried less than one truck’s worth of humanitarian aid. 

“While Greta and others attempted to stage a media provocation whose sole purpose was to gain publicity– and which included less than a single truckload of aid – more than 1,200 aid trucks have entered Gaza from Israel within the past two weeks. In addition, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has distributed close to 11 million meals directly to civilians in Gaza,” the ministry said in a statement.  

The ministry also stated: "There are ways to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip – they do not involve Instagram selfies.” 

On Monday, the Foreign Ministry released an additional statement regarding the legality of the blockade of Gaza. 

“The maritime zone off the coast of Gaza is closed to unauthorized vessels under a legal naval blockade, consistent with international law. The yacht is claiming that it is delivering humanitarian aid. In fact, it is a media gimmick for publicity (which includes less than a single truckload of aid) – a ‘selfie yacht’.” 

“The Gaza maritime zone remains an active conflict area, and Hamas has previously exploited sea routes for terrorist attacks, including the October 7th massacre,” the statement read.

Thunberg, along with the three other activists on the boat, agreed to sign deportation papers and was placed on a flight to France, from where she was scheduled to continue to Sweden.

The remaining eight activists, including several from France, refused to sign the deportation papers and were taken to a detention facility, where they will receive deportation orders from an Israeli judge. 

The Foreign Ministry added: “Anyone who refuses to sign deportation documents and leave Israel will be brought before a judicial body in accordance with Israeli law, in order to approve the deportation.” 

The passengers of the “Selfie Yacht” arrived at Ben Gurion Airport to depart from Israel and return to their home countries.
Some of the “Selfie Yacht” passengers are expected to leave within the next few hours.
Those who refuse to sign deportation documents and leave Israel will… pic.twitter.com/szEHmd0rS0

— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) June 10, 2025

The attempt to break the Israeli blockade on Gaza was organized by a group calling itself the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), which claimed the vessel was bringing aid that included rice, flour, and baby formula. 

However, the British news outlet The Telegraph revealed in a report that the trip was apparently organized by Zaher Birawi, a Hamas official in Europe and a founding member of the FFC organization. Israel designated Birawi a Hamas terrorist in 2013. He has helped to organize anti-Israel protests in England since the Oct. 7 massacre.