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.