Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, who departed Israel by plane on Tuesday after being detained aboard the Gaza-bound British-flagged yacht “Madleen” after Israeli forces boarded the vessel as it attempted to reach the Gaza Strip in defiance of an Israeli naval blockade, talks to journalists as she arrives at a terminal at the Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport, in Roissy-en-France near Paris, France, June 10, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes

Swedish activist Greta Thunberg was deported from Israel on Tuesday, the day after the Israeli navy prevented her and a group of fellow pro-Palestinian activists from sailing to Gaza.

Israeli forces seized their small ship, which was seeking to break a longstanding naval blockade of Gaza, and the 12-strong crew were brought to Israel.

Four of the group, including Thunberg, agreed to immediate deportation, while the eight others contested the repatriation order. They have been detained near Tel Aviv airport awaiting a court hearing on their legal status.

Amongst those who have refused to leave are Rima Hassan, a French member of the European parliament. The Jewish community in France lambasted Hassan last year for arguing that French-Palestinians must be able to join the “Palestinian armed resistance” if their French-Israeli counterparts are allowed to serve in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

“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,” Thunberg told reporters after she flew into Paris, accusing Israel of kidnapping her.

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

“[There] is a continued violation of international law and war crimes that Israel is systematically committing against Palestinians by not letting aid come to starving people,” the 22-year-old Swede added.

Israel has imposed a land, air, and sea blockade on Gaza, saying the shutdown is needed to prevent arms from reaching Hamas terrorists. It lets in limited supplies of food that are mainly distributed by a private group it backs.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry dismissed the Gaza-bound sea mission as a pro-Hamas publicity stunt.

“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,” Foreign Minister Gideon Saar told reporters on Tuesday.

Saar said the small quantity of supplies aboard the UK-registered yacht would be transferred to Gaza through “real humanitarian channels.”

Thunberg defended the aid effort, organized by a pro-Palestinian group called the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, saying a larger boat that could carry a bigger cargo was disabled last month in the Mediterranean by drones allegedly operated by Israel.

She also laughed off criticism from US President Donald Trump, who had described her as an angry person, saying: “I think the world needs a lot more young angry women to be honest, especially with everything going on right now.”

She added that it was unclear where she would be heading next, telling reporters it could be Sweden.

Israel has imposed a naval blockade on Gaza since Hamas took control of the coastal enclave in 2007. It tightened its grip significantly after Hamas-led terrorists rampaged through southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing more than 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages.