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“Greta Thunberg and different pro-Palestinian activists person been taken to Tel Aviv airdrome up of their deportation,” the Israeli Foreign Ministry said connected Tuesday (June 10, 2025), aft the Israeli navy prevented them from sailing to Gaza.
Israeli forces boarded the foundation vas arsenic it neared Gaza aboriginal connected Monday (June 9, 2025), trying to interruption done a years-old naval blockade of the coastal enclave, and seized the 12-strong crew, including Swedish campaigner Thunberg.
The British-flagged yacht was taken to the Israeli larboard of Ashdod and the Foreign Ministry said the activists were transferred overnight to Ben Gurion airport.
“Some of the ‘Selfie Yacht’ passengers are expected to permission wrong the adjacent fewer hours,” the Ministry said successful a statement. “Those who garbage to motion deportation documents and permission Israel volition beryllium brought earlier a judicial authority, successful accordance with Israeli law, to authorise their deportation.” “Consular representatives from the passengers’ location countries met them astatine the airport,” it added.
The activists had been carrying a tiny cargo of humanitarian aid, including atom and babe formula, and said they wanted to rise planetary consciousness astir the humanitarian situation successful Gaza, which has been devastated by months of war.
Israel dismissed the voyage arsenic a pro-Hamas publicity stunt. “The tiny magnitude of assistance that was connected the yacht and not consumed by the ‘celebrities’ volition beryllium transferred to Gaza done existent humanitarian channels,” the Foreign Ministry said.
Ms. Thunberg accused Israel of kidnapping her successful planetary waters. "I impulse each my friends, household and comrades to enactment unit connected the Swedish authorities to merchandise maine and the others arsenic soon arsenic possible," she said successful a video that was recorded up of the Israeli navy action.
U.S. President Donald Trump dismissed Greta Thunberg’s assertion of being kidnapped. “I deliberation Israel has capable problems without kidnapping Greta Thunberg,” helium said. “She's a young, aggravated idiosyncratic ... I deliberation she has to spell to an choler absorption class.”
Israel has imposed a naval blockade connected the coastal enclave since Hamas took power of Gaza successful 2007, saying it aims to halt weapons from reaching Hamas.
The blockade has remained successful spot done conflicts including the war, which began erstwhile Hamas-led militants rampaged done confederate Israel connected October 7, 2023, sidesplitting much than 1,200 radical and taking 251 hostages, by Israeli tallies.
Israel's retaliatory violative against Hamas has since killed much than 54,000 Palestinians, according to wellness officials successful Hamas-run Gaza, and destroyed astir of the homes of its 2.3 cardinal residents.
Published - June 10, 2025 01:03 p.m. IST
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